Gharles  M Baird 


S.^f.'o! 


PRESENTED  TO  THE  LIBRARY 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINRRY 


Profcssof  \iznvy  van  Dyke,  D.D.,  IiLi.D. 

BX    9225    .B3   A3 

Baird,  Charles  Washington, 

1828-1887. 
Memorials  of  the  Rev. 

Charles  W.  Baird.  D.D 


■  ■»    •       t 


^^■'^ 


(^A^^-^A^r>L^  AATTI^IJ  CXxo-/ — A 


MEMORIALS 


REV.  Charles  w.  Baird,  d.d. 


FOR   TWENTY-SIX   YEARS   PASTOR   OF  THE   PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH   OF   RYE,  NEW  YORK 


A    FEW    SELECTED    SERMONS    AND    SACRED    POEMS 


NEW   YORK   AND   LONDON 

G.    P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 
Sl^e  ^ni:keibotk«r  ^wss 

1888 


Press  of 

G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 

New  York 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 


The  wish  has  been  widely  expressed  by  those  who  hold 
the  noble  Christian  life  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  W. 
Baird,  of  Rye,  in  grateful  and  affectionate  remembrance, 
that  the  accounts  of  the  last  exercises  in  his  honor  might 
be  gathered  and  placed  in  a  permanent  form. 

It  has  been  urged  that  many  of  his  parishioners  and 
personal  friends  would  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  possess 
the  record  of  the  tender  words  spoken  in  the  church, 
the  very  appreciative  delineations  of  his  character  and 
work  as  pastor,  preacher,  and  historian,  given  later  at  the 
memorial  services,  and  some,  at  least,  of  the  tributes 
rendered  in  the  public  press  to  his  useful  and  honored 
course. 

In  response  to  such  appeals  this  little  volume  is 
printed.  To  gratify  those  who  may  be  less  fully  ac- 
quainted with  the  incidents  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Baird,  a 
brief  biographical  sketch  is  prefixed,  written  by  his 
brother,  Professor  Henry  M.  Baird,  of  the  University  of 


IV  PREFATORY  NOTE. 

the  City  of  New  York.  The  nature  of  the  addresses, 
and  the  different  occasions  on  which  they  were  deliv- 
ered, will  account  for  a  certain  number  of  unavoidable 
repetitions  of  statement.  Some  of  these  it  has  been 
deemed  difficult  or  undesirable  to  remove.  In  many 
cases,  however,  passages  have  been  left  out,  whose 
omission  is,  for  the  most  part,  indicated  by  the  use  of 
periods 

Such  a  memorial  as  this  would  have  been  manifestly 
incomplete  had  it  contained  nothing  from  the  pen  of 
him  to  whom  it  principally  refers.  Ten  of  Dr.  Baird's 
sermons  are  therefore  inserted,  together  with  a  few 
sacred  poems,  as  constituting  a  fitting  conclusion  of  the 
book.  The  choice  from  among  so  many  discourses 
which  seemed  entitled  to  a  place  has  been  by  no  means 
an  easy  one,  and  has  been  influenced  somewhat  by  pref- 
erences expressed.  Those  which  have  been  finally 
chosen  for  publication  are  now  given,  with  the  fervent 
hope  and  prayer  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  accom- 
pany them  to  the  conversion  and  edification  of  those 
who  read.  Thus  will  the  highest  purpose  be  fulfilled  of 
the  beloved  dead,  who,  through  his  long  and  faithful 
pastorate,  felt  that  he  had  no  other  commission  than  ta 
preach  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified. 

M.  E.  B. 


.     CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Biographical  Sketch i 

Funeral  Services  and  Addresses 13 

Dr.  Hitchcock's  Address 13 

Rev.  Horace  G.  Hinsdale's  Address 16 

Dr.  Phraner's  Address 23 

Remarks  by  the  Rev.  John  Reid 26 

Memorial  Service  and  Addresses 31 

Address  of  J.  Aspinwall  Hodge,  D.D.  .         .         .        .31 

Address  of  Rev.  John  Reid 41 

Remarks  of  Rev.  R.  H.  P.  Vail,  D.D.  .         .        .         .50 

Memorial  Sermon 52 

Tributes 61 

Sermons 77 

I. — The  Yoke  and  the  Cross 79 

II. — Go  and  See g2 

III. — The  Coat  Without  Seam 106 

IV, — Obedience  to  Christ 123 

V. — Blessed  are  the  Meek 139 

VI. — The  God  of  all  Comfort 153 

VII. — The  Mind  of  Christ 166 

VIII. — Jerusalem  Remembered 179 

IX. — The  Conquest  of  Canaan 193 

X. — Trust  in  the  Lord 208 

Lays  of  the  Cross    . 219 

I. — The  Dream  of  Pilate's  Wife 221 

II. — Behold  Your  King 223 

III. — Simon  of  Cyrene 225 

IV. — The  People  at  the  Cross 227 

V. — The  Soldiers  AT  the 'Cross 229 

VI. — The  Women  at  the  Cross 231 

VII. — Bearing  the  Cross 233 

"  Domine,  QuoVadis?" 233 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 


Charles  Washington  Baird,  the  second  son  of  Rob- 
ert and  Fermine  Du  Buisson  Baird,  was  born  in  Princeton, 
N.  J.,  on  the  28th  of  August,  1828.  His  father  was  a 
clergyman  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  widely  known 
and  greatly  beloved  both  in  Europe  and  in  America  be- 
cause of  his  untiring  and  self-sacrificing  labors  in  con- 
nection with  many  important  religious  and  philanthropic 
enterprises.  His  mother,  who  was  of  French  Huguenot 
extraction,  was  a  woman  in  whom  deep  and  unaffected 
piety  was  combined  with  great  refinement  and  singular 
sweetness  and  force  of  character. 

Until  his  seventh  year  his  parents  resided  in  this 
country,  first  in  Princeton  and  afterwards  in  Philadel- 
phia. In  1835  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Baird  accepted  a  com- 
mission to  visit  Europe  in  the  interest  of  the  effort  then 
for  the  first  time  made  by  American  Protestants,  to 
evangelize  the  Roman  Catholic  countries  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  the  greater  part  of  the' next  eight  or  nine  years 


2  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

was  spent  by  his  family  in  France  and  Switzerland.  For 
six  years  their  home  was  in  Paris,  and  for  two  years  in 
Geneva.  This  long  sojourn  in  foreign  lands  was  not 
without  a  very  distinct  effect  in  influencing  the  intellec- 
tual development  of  the  young  Charles  Baird.  Not  only 
did  it  tend  to  broaden  his  general  culture,  but  it  enabled 
him  in  particular  to  master  several  of  the  languages  of 
modern  Europe,  and  to  lay  the  foundation  of  an  ac- 
quaintance with  the  history  and  literatures  of  France, 
Switzerland,  Germany,  and  Italy,  which  at  a  later  date 
proved  of  great  utility,  being  indeed  an  indispensable 
condition  of  much  of  the  original  literary  research  in 
which  he  subsequently  engaged. 

It  was  during  his  stay  in  Europe  that  he  was  called  to 
pass  through  the  severe  discipline  of  suffering.  An  at- 
tack of  inflammatory  rheumatism,  incurred  in  the  spring 
of  1 841,  brought  on  an  affection  of  the  heart  so  rapid  and 
violent  in  its  character  as  for  a  time  to  threaten  his  life. 
For  many  months  his  health  continued  to  be  very  pre- 
carious ;  nor  indeed  did  he  ever  recover  the  vigor  of  con- 
stitution he  had  previously  enjoyed. 

No  doubt  this  experience  was  blessed  of  God  to  bring 
him  to  a  fuller  realization  of  his  spiritual  needs.  From 
his  earliest  years  he  had  exhibited  great  sensitiveness  of 
conscience,  together  with  deep  reverence  for  the  Holy 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  3 

Scriptures  and  their  teachings.  Now  he  came  to  a  dis- 
tinct apprehension  and  acceptance  of  the  Gospel  plan  of 
salvation,  and  embraced  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  a 
faith  that  knew  no  doubt  or  wavering  to  the  end  of  his 
life.  His  entire  frame  of  mind  became  evidently  spirit- 
ual. He  began  at  once  to  seek  opportunities  for  benefit- 
ing those  around  him;  he  instituted  prayer -meetings 
among  his  young  associates,  and  he  strove  by  direct  con- 
versation to  induce  them  to  accept  the  Saviour  whom  he 
had  himself  chosen  to  be  the  guide  and  master  of  his 
thoughts  and  actions.  Shortly  after  his  return  to  the 
United  States  he  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in 
Christ,  and  united  early  in  1844  with  the  Sixth  Street 
Presbyterian  Church,  New  York  City,  then  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Horace  Eaton,  D.D.,  subse- 
quently of  Palmyra. 

The  Gospel  ministry  was  the  life-work  upon  which  his 
thoughts  and  aspirations  centred.  No  other  occupation 
seemed  attractive  to  him.  Yet  for  a  time  there  was  little 
prospect  that  his  bodily  health  would  permit  him  to 
carry  out  his  cherished  hope.  For  several  years  the 
close  application  and  confinement  of  the  school  were  out 
of  the  question.  Meanwhile,  however,  his  time  was  not 
misspent.  Not  only  did  his  reading  include  a  wide  range 
of  literature,  but  he  employed  his  pen  to  good  purpose. 


4  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

assisting  his  father  by  translations  of  important  treatises 
from  the  French  language  into  the  English,  and  exercising 
to  some  extent  a  poetical  ability  which  he  had  inherited 
from  his  mother.  Taking  advantage  of  his  improved 
health,  he  prepared  privately  for  college,  and  in  the 
year  1846  entered  the  junior  class  of  the  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York.  Under  the  instruction  of  such 
eminent  men  as  Chancellor  Theodore  Frelinghuysen  and 
Professors  Taylor  Lewis,  E.  A.  Johnson,  John  W.  Draper, 
Caleb  S.  Henry,  and  others,  he  enjoyed  the  highest  ad- 
vantages this  country  then  afforded,  and  the  associations 
which  he  formed  with  his  teachers  and  with  his  fellow- 
students  were  a  theme  to  which  he  ever  after  recurred 
with  manifest  gratification.  The  character  and  services 
of  Mr.  Frelinghuysen  in  particular  were  reviewed  by  him 
with  the  appreciative  affection  of  an  attached  pupil 
thirty-four  years  after  graduation,  in  the  oration  which 
he  delivered  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society.  On 
Commencement  Day,  in  June,  1848,  his  part  in  the  public 
exercises  was  the  rendering  of  a  poem  of  his  own  com- 
position on  the  theme  of  "  Labor." 

In  September,  1849,  ^^  entered  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  New  York.  Here  he  pursued  a  full  course  of 
theological  study,  under  Dr.  Henry  White,  in  Dogmatical 
Theology,   Dr.    Edward   Robinson  and   Mr.   Turner,    in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  5 

Biblical  Exegesis,  Dr.  Henry  B.  Smith,  in  Church  History, 
and  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  in  Pastoral  Theology  and 
Homiletics.  He  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1852,  and, 
after  licensure  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick, 
sailed  for  Europe  in  the  month  of  September,  to  become 
chaplain  of  the  American  Chapel  in  the  city  of  Rome, 
under  the  care  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian 
Union.  Here  his  ministry  extended  over  a  period  of 
two  years.  During  his  vacation  in  the  summer  of  1853, 
he  returned  for  a  few  weeks  to  the  United  States,  in 
order  to  receive  ordination  at  the  hands  of  the  same 
presbytery  by  which  he  had  been  licensed  to  preach  the 
Gospel. 

His  labors  among  the  American  and  English  residents 
and  visitors  at  Rome  were  eminently  acceptable.  The 
Hon.  Mr.  Cass  had  kindly  selected  for  his  residence  apart- 
ments connected  with  which  there  was  a  large  room  or 
hall  that  could  easily  be  adapted  for  a  place  of  public 
divine  worship.  Thus  the  chapel  was  conveniently  and 
centrally  situated  on  the  western  side  of  the  great  square 
known  as  the  Piazza  del  Popolo,  and  facing  the  Pincian 
hill.  Here  the  only  Protestant  services  in  the  English 
language  within  the  walls  of  the  city  were  held  under  the 
protection  of  the  American  flag.  The  families  constitut- 
ing   the   American    colony,  and  the   visitors   from   the 


6  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

United  States,  represented,  as  may  be  supposed,  all 
shades  of  Protestant  belief ;  but  so  courteous  and  judi- 
cious, as  well  as  faithful  to  principle,  was  Mr.  Baird's 
course,  that  it  conciliated  and  held  all  classes.  So  long 
as  he  remained,  therefore,  the  American  Chapel  main- 
tained its  ground  and  grew  in  numbers  and  in  favor  ;  nor 
was  there  a  whisper  of  a  desire  to  establish  for  Amer- 
icans in  Rome  any  other  organization  than  that  in  which 
all  evangelical  Christians,  of  whatever  name,  could  heart- 
ily unite  for  the  worship  of  Almighty  God,  and  for  such 
limited  exertions  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  Italians 
as  were  possible  under  the  intolerant  government  of  Pius 
the  Ninth. 

In  1854  Mr.  Baird  returned  to  the  United  States,  with 
the  expectation  of  being  able  at  once  to  assume  a  pastoral 
charge  in  this  country.  For  a  time,  however,  this  hope 
was  deferred  by  a  painful  affection  of  the  nerves  of  the 
eye,  and  he  devoted  the  period  of  his  enforced  release 
from  the  regular  duties  of  the  pulpit  in  part  to  the  prose- 
cution of  studies  bearing  directly  upon  the  worship  of  the 
sanctuary.  In  1855  he  published  his  volume  entitled 
"  Eutaxia  ;  or.  The  Presbyterian  Liturgies  :  Historical 
Sketches  by  a  Minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,"  and, 
in  1856,  a  second  volume,  "A  Book  of  Public  Prayer, 
Compiled  from  the  Authorized  Formularies  of  Worship  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  7 

the  Presbyterian  Church,  as  Prepared  by  the  Reformers 
Calvin,  Knox,  and  Others."  The  two  books  taken  to- 
gether became  a  standard  authority  in  a  branch  of  his- 
torical research  altogether  novel  on  this  side  of  the  ocean. 
Himself  no  friend  or  advocate  of  an  enforced  liturgy,  Mr. 
Baird  showed  that  the  Presbyterian  minister  who  desires 
to  enrich  his  pulpit  services  with  the  best  suggestions  of 
past  ages,  and  to  free  them  from  the  appearance  of  irreg- 
ularity or  disorder,  need  not  go  outside  of  the  authorized 
formularies  of  his  own  church  and  the  writings  of  its  re- 
formers, to  obtain  all  the  legitimate  help  that  he  requires. 
With  characteristic  modesty,  the  author  refrained  from 
placing  his  name  on  the  title-page  of  either  volume. 

In  1859  Mr.  Baird  received  and  accepted  a  call  to  be- 
come pastor  of  a  young  enterprise,  known  as  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  Church  of  Bergen  Hill,  in  South  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  Here  he  remained  two  years,  greatly  endearing 
himself  to  the  people  of  his  charge,  until  he  was  invited, 
in  1 861,  to  occupy  a  larger  and  more  laborious  field  of 
Christian  activity. 

It  was  less  than  a  month  after  the  firing  upon  Fort 
Sumter,  that  having  accepted  the  call  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Rye,  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  he  was  sol- 
emnly installed  as  its  pastor ;  and  here  the  last  twenty- 
six  years  of  his  life — the  years  of  his  highest  activity  both 


8  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  and  as  an  author — were  passed. 
Shortly  after  his  entering  upon  the  duties  of  his  pastorate 
at  Rye,  he  was  married,  on  the  2d  of  July,  1861,  to 
Miss  Margaret  E.  Strang,  eldest  daughter  of  the  late 
Theodosius  Strang,  of  New  York,  a  well-known  and  hon- 
orable Christian  merchant. 

Of  the  long  and  faithful  pastorate  of  Dr.  Baird  at  Rye, 
extending  over  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  it  is  not 
needful  here  to  speak.  Some  statistics  which  indicate, 
though  only  imperfectly,  the  results  of  his  assiduous 
efforts,  will  be  found  in  a  sermon  preached  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  anniversary  of  his  installation. 

Dr.  Baird's  historical  labors  grew  naturally,  and  not  of 
forethought,  from  his  pastoral  work.  The  preparation 
of  a  sermon  preached  on  the  day  of  annual  thanksgiving 
in  1865,  led  one  whose  mind  had  a  distinct  bent  toward 
historical  research  to  examine  the  causes  for  gratitude  to 
be  found  in  the  providential  experiences  of  the  church 
and  the  community  in  the  midst  of  which  the  church  was 
placed.  An  urgent  request  for  the  publication  of  this 
discourse  on  the  part  of  those  who  had  heard  and  been 
interested  in  it,  induced  the  preacher  to  make  further  in- 
vestigations, and  to  widen  its  scope.  So  it  was  that  a 
sermon,  which  had  originally  been  intended  merely  to 
serve  the  need  of  the  occasion  of  its  delivery,  became  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  g 

treatise  of  no  mean  proportions,  and  one  of  the  most 
thorough  and  complete  of  local  histories — "  The  Chron- 
icle of  a  Border  Town  :  a  History  of  Rye,  1660-1870." 
The  preparation  of  this  work  consumed  the  leisure  hours 
of  six  years  ;  the  researches  necessary  for  the  composi- 
tion of  the  "  History  of  the  Huguenot  Emigration  to 
America"  occupied  about  twice  that  length  of  time. 
Not  to  speak  of  the  fact  that  the  author's  mother  was  of 
Huguenot  extraction,  and  that  the  region  in  which  his 
lot  had  been  providentially  cast  contained  numerous  fam- 
ilies tracing  their  origin  to  the  French  Protestant  refu- 
gees, Dr.  Baird  had  from  his  earliest  years  been  led  to 
cherish  unusual  interest  in  the  Huguenots  by  his  famil- 
iarity in  childhood  with  the  scenes  of  some  of  the  most 
thrilling  events  in  their  annals.  As  a  boy  he  had  played 
in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries,  had  passed  a  thousand 
times  by  the  Louvre,  and  pictured  to  himself  the  boy- 
king,  Charles  the  Ninth,  reluctantly  ordering  the  butchery 
of  his  subjects,  and  fancied,  when  walking  in  front  of  the 
church  of  St.  Germain  I'Auxerrois,  that  he  heard  the 
stroke  of  the  bell  in  the  tower  that  gave  the  signal  for 
which  the  assassins  were  waiting.  An  indication  of  his 
early  interest  may  be  found  in  the  circumstance  that 
among  his  first  poetical  efforts,  when  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age,  was  an  historical  poem  in  full  form  entitled 


lO  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

"  The  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Eve."  Of  the  ex- 
cellences of  the  work  in  which,  about  forty  years  after 
this  boyish  effort,  he  undertook  to  chronicle  the  fortunes 
of  some  of  the  refugees  and  their  settlement  in  this 
country,  there  is  the  less  need  to  speak  here  that  a  com- 
petent pen  will  treat  of  them  on  another  page.  We  con- 
fine ourselves,  therefore,  to  the  remark  that,  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  historical  and  genealogical  investigations, 
Dr.  Baird  spared  neither  time  nor  trouble.  In  1877  he 
made  a  special  visit  to  London,  to  search  the  records  of 
the  State  Paper  Office,  the  British  Museum,  the  Library  of 
Lambeth  Palace,  etc.,  while  the  French  National  Archives 
in  Paris,  and  the  Archives  of  Leyden,  La  Rochelle,  and 
other  points  of  interest  were  explored  by  means  of  his 
correspondents. 

Meanwhile  Dr.  Baird's  literary  activity  was  not  con- 
fined to  extended  works.  As  historian  by  appointment 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester,  or  as  a  member  of 
many  historical  societies,  he  prepared  a  number  of  im- 
portant papers,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  his 
monograph  on  Pierre  Daill^,  his  "  Civil  Status  of  the 
Presbyterians  in  the  Province  of  New  York,"  and  the  lit- 
tle volume  on  the  "  History  of  Bedford  Church,"  growing 
out  of  a  discourse  delivered  on  the  two  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  founding  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Bedford,  N.  Y. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  II 

On  Monday,  June  14,  1886,  he  delivered  before  the 
New  York  Beta  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  in  the 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  an  oration  on  "  The 
Scholar's  Duty  and  Opportunity."  In  June,  1876,  he  re- 
ceived from  his  Alma  Mater  the  honorary  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity.  In  recognition  of  the  excellence  and 
utility  of  his  literary  labors,  he  was  elected  to  honorary 
or  corresponding  membership  by  many  societies,  includ- 
ing the  New  York,  Long  Island,  Virginia,  and  other  his- 
torical societies  ;  and  at  the  formation  of  the  Huguenot 
Society  of  London,  in  1885,  he  was  one  of  the  only  two 
American  authors  chosen  as  honorary  fellows. 

His  last  public  service  outside  of  his  own  pulpit  was  on 
Thursday,  the  27th  of  January,  1887,  when,  by  appoint- 
ment of  the  Faculty  of  Arts  and  Science,  he  preached 
before  the  students  of  the  New  York  University  the 
customary  sermon  of  the  Day  of  Prayer  for  Colleges. 
The  text  was  Matt.  v.  6 — "Blessed  are  they  which  do 
hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness  :  for  they  shall  be 
filled."  It  was  an  earnest,  able,  and  practical  plea  for 
personal  religion. 

His  health,  which  was  never  strong,  had  not  at  this 
time  given  any  reason  for  special  anxiety  to  his  friends  ; 
but  the  earthly  end  was  nearer  than  any  one  suspected. 
On  Saturday,  the  5th  of  February,  while  in  his  study  en- 


12  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

gaged  in  the  preparation  of  the  sermon  which  he  hoped 
to  preach  on  the  morrow,  he  was  suddenly  attacked  by 
what  proved  to  be  cerebral  apoplexy.  Apprehending 
from  the  first  the  issue  of  his  illness,  he  exhibited,  in  the 
midst  of  great  physical  distress,  not  merely  a  cheerful 
resignation  to  God's  will,  but  a  strong  desire  to  go  and 
be  with  Christ  as  something  far  better.  His  trust  was 
unfaltering  ;  his  mind  was  disturbed  by  no  fears.  **  You 
know  that  I  am  ready,"  were  among  the  last  words  that 
he  uttered  before  he  fell  into  a  peaceful  sleep,  from 
which  he  passed  quietly  away  into  the  life  eternal  on 
Thursday,  the  loth  of  February,  1887. 

His  wife,  a  daughter,  and  a  son  survive  him. 

Such,  briefly  told,  is  the  story  of  a  life  of  singular 
purity  and  consecration  to  the  Master.  Words  of  eulogy, 
whether  respecting  himself  or  the  work  that  he  did,  it 
has  been  our  aim  to  avoid.  It  has  seemed  more  fitting 
to  leave  to  other  hands  the  duty  and  the  privilege  of 
estimating  the  worth  of  the  Christian  minister  who,  his 
work  well  done,  so  quietly  and  willingly  relinquished  his 
hold  on  all  that  was  earthly  at  the  summons  of  Him 
who  called  him  up  higher  to  partake  of  everlasting 
blessedness.  H.  M.  B. 


FUNERAL  SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 


The  funeral  services  of  the  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird, 
D.  D.,  were  held  on  Monday,  February  14,  1887,  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Rye,  N.  Y.,  of  which  he  had  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  been  the  beloved  pastor. 

Prayer  was  offered  at  the  manse  by  the  Rev.  W.  W. 
Dowd,  of  Port  Chester,  after  which  the  remains  were 
carried  to  the  church,  where  they  were  received  by  a  large 
number  of  clergymen  of  the  Presbyterian  and  other 
churches.  The  pall-bearers  were  the  Rev.  William  Life, 
George  D.  Cragin,  Edward  P.  Whittemore,  William  H. 
Parsons,  Augustus  Wiggin,  Henry  W.  Quin,  Jasper  E. 
Corning,  and  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer. 

The  services  were  begun  by  Rev.  Erskine  N.  White, 
D.  D.,  who  read  selections  from  the  Scriptures,  and  was 
followed  by  Rev.  J.  Aspinwall  Hodge,  D.  D.,  who  offered 
prayer.  The  music  was  in  accordance  with  the  solemnity 
of  the  occasion. 

The  Rev.  Roswell  D.  Hitchcock,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York,  of 
which  Dr.  Baird  was  a  director,  made  the  first  address. 

DR.  HITCHCOCK'S  ADDRESS. 

On  occasions  like  the  one  that  now  has  called  us  to- 
gether, I  have  sometimes  heard  it  said :  "  We  have  come  to 

13 


14  FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

bury  Caesar,  not  to  praise  him."  Our  errand,  brothers  and 
friends,  is  not  to  bury  him.  He  is  not  here.  He  has 
ascended.  What  vanishes  from  our  sight  to-day  is  the 
merest  casket — an  honored  tenement  while  life  was  in  it, 
going  back  now  to  its  native  dust.  It  is  not  death. 
Death  is  abolished  for  him  and  for  us  who  share  his  faith. 
The  grass  withers,  the  flower  fades,  but  its  perfume  is 
exhaled  into  the  heavens.  The  casket  is  shattered,  but 
the  jewel  is  set  on  the  brow  that  wears  many  crowns.  It 
is  not  death.     It  is  translation. 

This  is  not  studied  eulogy.  Now  and  then  it  happens 
that  the  plainest,  simplest  recital  of  what  a  man  has  been 
is  eulogy  not  intended  but  inevitable. 

We  commemorate  to-day  a  rounded  life,  as  well  as  a 
finished  life.  The  broken  shaft  is  not  its  symbol.  It  is  a 
finished  work.  We  commemorate  a  Christian  man,  hus- 
band, father,  citizen.  You  all  know  as  well  as  I — many 
of  you  better  than  I — what  he  was  in  all  these  relations. 
We  commemorate  to-day  a  Christian  scholar,  whose  writ- 
ten and  printed  records  survive  him,  and  will  long  survive 
to  link  his  name  and  his  memory  with  the  heroic  age  in 
our  Protestant  history,  irradiated  by  that  Huguenot  hero- 
ism which  has  never  been  surpassed.  We  commemorate 
to-day  a  Christian  man,  of  gentle  blood,  of  happy  birth, 
of  rare  opportunities,  of  careful  culture.  Even  the  most 
casual  acquaintances  having  the  slightest  intercourse 
with  him,  would  say,  "  how  gracious."  We  commemo- 
rate to-day  a  Christian  minister.  Permit  me  to  call  this 
the  highest  form  of  service,  only  in  so  far  as  it  makes  the 
highest  end  of  every  earthly  life  the  business  of  one's 
daily  life.  Whoever  serves  God  in  any  relation,  in  any 
capacity,  is  a  priest  of  God  ;  but  highly  honored  is  the 
man  whose  business  it  is  to  be  a  priest,  a  true  priest. 


FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  1 5 

This  Christian  minister  was  a  Bishop  of  the  Apostolic 
type  ;  a  Bishop  to  all, — not  to  his  own  parish  only.  There 
was  one  Church  in  Jerusalem,  and  only  one,  and  one 
Church  in  Rome  and  only  one.  Our  friend  realized,  as 
few  clergymen  have  done,  in  his  own  experience,  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all  his  neighbors,  that  however  many 
parishes  there  might  be  within  this  municipality,  he  was  a 
Bishop  of  them — of  you  all.  It  is  really  worth  one's 
while  to  live,  and  worth  one's  courage  to  die,  when  life 
may  mean  so  much,  and  when  the  after-life  is  sufficiently 
revealed  in  all  its  brightness.  There  is  only  one  lot  for 
us  all.  To  live  is  Christ,  and  then  to  die  is  gain.  The 
great  institutions  under  which  we  live,  and  which  we 
seek  to  serve,  appointed  by  God  himself,  are  the  Family, 
the  Church,  the  State,  and  one  law  dominates  in  them 
all.  By  the  fireside,  by  the  altar,  and  in  the  arena  of 
conflict,  there  is  just  one  law :  Christ's  word  to  rule  and 
shape  our  lives;  Christ's  life  to  be  our  pattern;  and  if 
we  but  realize  this  idea,  in  Christ  to  live,  we  surely  need 
not  be  afraid  to  die.  I  sometimes  think  it  requires  more 
courage  to  live  than  to  die. 

I  remember  what  Christ  has  promised  to  every  humble 
soul,  but  I  know  the  power  of  temptation,  and  I  know 
the  fearful  risks  to  character.  I  know  that  no  one  of  us 
can  be  pronounced  happy  this  side  of  the  grave.  To-day 
our  names  may  be  spotless ;  to-morrow  they  may  be 
clouded.  But  when  we  lie  down  to  our  last  repose  the 
seal  is  set  and  there  is  no  more  any  risk  of  evil  to  us. 
The  battle  has  been  fought,  the  victory  has  been  won, 
and  the  trumpet  peal  has  gone  under  the  arches  :  Safe  ! 
safe  ! 

We  sometimes  wonder,  and  we  sometimes  lament  that 
we  know  so  little  of  what  is  coming.     How  we  try  to 


l6  FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

catch  a  glimpse  through  the  veil  as  it  drops  between  us 
and  the  departed.  No  !  we  cannot  know,  and  yet,  my 
friends,  we  do  know.     To  live  is  Christ  and  to  die  is  gain. 

The  Rev.  Horace  G.  Hinsdale,  of  Princeton,  N.  J., 
for  many  years  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  spoke  as  follows: 

REV.    HORACE   G.    HINSDALE'S   ADDRESS. 

Although  it  would  be  most  in  keeping  with  my  feel- 
ings to  sit  in  silence  here,  and  muse  with  mingled  grati- 
tude and  sorrow  upon  a  delightful  chapter  in  human  life 
which  must  now  be  closed,  I  am  constrained  to  yield  to 
the  summons  to  lay  a  single  flower  upon  the  coffin  of 
one  who  was  my  true  friend  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, partly  because  it  is  the  last  public  opportunity  I 
may  have  of  testifying  my  respect  and  admiration  for 
him,  and  especially  because  it  had  often  been  said  be- 
tween us  that  the  one  who  should,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  survive  the  other  must  speak  some  word  of  love 
and  hope  over  the  remains  of  his  friend. 

It  is  no  common  sorrow  that  has  brought  us  to- 
gether. Our  dear  friend  and  brother  who  now  rests  from 
his  labors,  whether  he  be  thought  of  in  his  private  or  his 
public  relations,  was  not  an  ordinary  man.  Few  families 
have  such  a  husband  and  father,  few  churches  such  a 
pastor,  to  lose.  This  is  true,  not  because  of  his  pos- 
session of  one  or  two  brilliant  and  conspicuous  traits,  but 
rather  because  of  the  completeness  and  symmetry  of  his 
character.  He  might  not,  as  some,  dazzle  a  casual  acquaint- 
ance, but  no  one  could  be  long  with  him  without  recogniz- 
ing a  singularly  harmonious  and  beautiful  combination  of 
many  excellent  qualities,  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual. 


FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  ly 

He  was  greatly  blessed  in  his  parentage.  His  dis- 
tinguished father,  the  late  Rev.  Robert  Baird,  D.D.,  de- 
voted himself  from  early  manhood  to  philanthropic  and 
Christian  labors,  having  in  view  "  the  extension  of  Prot- 
estantism and  the  evangelization  of  the  world."  His  ef- 
forts, both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe,  in  behalf  of  tem- 
perance, of  public  education,  of  Sunday-schools,  of  the 
widest  distribution  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  of  the  quick- 
ening of  a  languid  Protestantism,  and  of  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  Papal  populations,  occupy  an  important  place  in 
the  history  of  modern  religious  movements.  The  in- 
spiration of  his  example  must  have  been  profoundly  felt 
by  his  son.  Though  not  called  by  Divine  Providence  to 
follow  precisely  the  same  lines  of  work,  Dr.  Charles  Baird 
closely  resembled  his  father  in  breadth  of  views,  in  char- 
ity, in  piety,  in  sympathy  with  every  effort  of  a  true 
philanthropy,  in  intelligent  zeal  for  Christian  missions,  in 
catholicity  of  spirit.  His  recently  published  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  oration  on  "  The  Scholar's  Duty  and  Oppor- 
tunity," well  illustrates  his  large  and  enlightened  out- 
look upon  pressing  and  difficult  questions  which  are  now 
agitating  society,  and  the  solution  of  which  will  task  the 
wisest  judgment  of  the  wisest  men. 

Our  dear  brother  possessed  a  clear,  well-balanced,  and 
highly  cultivated  intellect.  His  educational  advantages 
were  thoroughly  improved.  His  modesty  forbade  his 
laying  claim  to  superior  attainments,  yet  those  who  en- 
joyed his  acquaintance  easily  discovered  that  he  had 
read  widely  and  thought  much.  He  wielded  a  ready 
pen,  and  his  written  style  in  its  precision,  elegance,  and 
transparency  indicated  both  the  breadth  and  the  depth 
of  his  culture. 

Notwithstanding   the    unceasing   claims    of   parochial 


1 8  FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

duty,  and  the  limitations  imposed  on  him  by  the  chronic 
frailty  of  his  health,  he  made  a  number  of  valuable  con- 
tributions to  the  literature  of  his  time.  He  translated 
from  the  French  "  Malan  on  Romanism,"  and  a  volume 
of  "  Discourses  and  Essays "  by  Dr.  Merle  d'Aubign6. 
In  his  ''  Eutaxia,  or  the  Presbyterian  Liturgies,"  which 
was  reprinted  in  London  under  the  editorship  of  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Binney,  and  his  "  Book  of  Public  Prayer,"  com- 
piled from  the  formularies  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  as 
prepared  by  Calvin,  Knox,  and  others,  he  gave  to  the 
Church  the  fruit  of  extensive  liturgical  studies,  and 
placed  under  lasting  obligations  not  only  the  students 
of  Presbyterian  history,  but  likewise  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  who,  in  the  absence  of  prescribed  forms  of 
worship,  seek  help  from  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  other 
ages  in  maintaining  a  due  order  and  comeliness  in  the 
services  of  the  House  of  God.  These  books  are  referred 
to  by  an  accomplished  scholar  as  "  two  learned  and  valu- 
able works  of  the  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  to  whom  be- 
longs the  credit  of  a  first  investigator  and  collector  of  the 
Presbyterian  liturgies." 

Of  his  elaborate  "  History  of  Rye,"  and  of  his  "  His- 
tory of  the  Huguenot  Emigration  to  America,"  left  in- 
complete, alas,  by  his  lamented  death,  it  is  enough  to 
say  that  they  show  his  remarkable  aptness  for  historical 
composition,  his  painstaking  conscientiousness  of  re- 
search, his  resolute  determination  to  secure  minute  ac- 
curacy, and  the  ease  and  grace  of  style  which  characterize 
all  his  literary  work. 

Personally  and  socially  Dr.  Baird  was  remarkably  at- 
tractive. Some  men  are  good  without  being  winning. 
Some  are  frank  and  honest  and  yet  are  rude  and  repel- 
lent.    But  he  was  winning,  and  at  the  same  time  trans- 


FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  I9 

parently  honest.  His  courtesy  was  knightly  ;  nay,  better, 
it  was  Christian.  As  a  friend  he  was  the  very  soul  of 
honor,  truth,  and  fidelity.  He  was  a  gentleman,  not 
merely  by  virtue  of  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  usages 
of  the  best  society,  but  likewise  by  virtue  of  his  genuine 
benevolence  in  little  things  as  well  as  in  great.  Young 
and  old  alike  were  drawn  to  him  by  his  magnetic  kindli- 
ness ;  the  ignorant  no  less  than  the  cultivated  could  be  at 
ease  in  his  society.  One  could  not  enter  his  home  with- 
out feeling  the  charm  of  his  gracious  ways,  and  a  morn- 
ing or  an  evening  spent  with  him  was  an  enjoyment  to 
be  long  remembered. 

The  depth  of  his  piety  was  manifest  to  those  who 
were  favored  with  his  friendship,  I  am  sure  that  I  speak 
truly  in  saying  that  his  religious  experience  may  be  best 
summed  up  in  the  New  Testament  phrase,  "  Looking 
unto  Jesus."  More  than  to  minute  self-inspection  and 
self-dissection  was  he  given  to  the  adoring  contemplation 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  object  of  his  supreme 
trust  and  love,  into  whose  hands  he  had  committed  him- 
self and  all  his  interests  for  time  and  eternity,  in  the 
presence  of  whose  grace  and  power  and  faithfulness  he 
had  learned  to  dismiss  all  doubt.  Hence,  notwithstand- 
ing cares  and  trials,  and  the  pains  of  disease,  he  appeared 
to  live  constantly  in  the  light.  His  piety  touched  and 
beautified  with  a  radiance  as  from  heaven  his  domestic 
and  social  life,  his  intellectual  activities,  and  all  his  work 
for  the  Church.  Possibly  he  had  come  to  this  height  of 
experience  through  many  a  struggle  with  temptation  and 
doubt  and  sin;  I  know  not.  This,  however,  was  plain, 
that  whatever  had  been  at  any  time  his  spiritual  conflicts, 
he  had  won  the  glorious  victory  of  faith,  and  had  become 
more  than  a  conqueror  through  Him  who  loved  him. 


20  FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

The  chief  work  of  Dr.  Baird's  life  was  done  in  this 
place,  as  the  pastor  for  upwards  of  a  quarter  of  a  century 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Rye.  It  would  be  super- 
fluous to  dwell  at  length  upon  the  history  of  a  pastorate 
so  impressively  commemorated  in  his  own  Quarter  Cen- 
tury Sermon,  but  some  brief  allusion  to  it  is  demanded 
by  this  occasion.  He  came  hither  while  yet  a  young 
man,  though  not  without  experience  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  having  been  for  a  short  time  chaplain  to  the 
American  Embassy  in  Rome,  Italy,  and  subsequently  in 
charge  of  a  chapel  in  Brooklyn  connected  with  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  Church.  From  the  spring  of  1861  until 
his  decease  he  prayed  and  preached  and  toiled  among 
you  with  but  a  single  serious  interruption  during  the 
twenty-five  years.  He  brought  to  you  his  scholarship, 
his  Christian  character,  his  devotion  to  the  kingdom  of 
God,  his  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  perishing  souls.  He 
soon  won  your  affection,  and  he  grew  in  your  love  until 
the  end.  He  was  a  faithful  pastor  to  all  classes  of  his 
people.  A  sufferer  himself,  he  could  minister  with  deep 
and  tender  sympathy  to  the  sick  and  the  sorrowing.  His 
preaching  did  not  dazzle  with  fitful  coruscations  of  elo- 
quence, but  shone  with  a  steady  and  mellow  light,  as  a 
lamp  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord.  His  sermons  maintained 
a  high  level  of  excellence.  They  were  thoughtful,  fin- 
ished, and  edifying.  Doubtless  his  manuscripts  would 
furnish  more  than  one  volume  of  doctrinal  and  practical 
religious  instruction,  which  would  greatly  edify  and  com- 
fort Christian  people. 

Beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  congregation  his  in- 
fluence was  felt.  Of  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester  and 
the  Synod  of  New  York  he  was  a  valued  and  important 
member.  Of  the  Church  Extension  Committee  of  the 
Presbytery  he  was  for  many  years  the  chairman. 


FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  21 

Your  beautiful  house  of  worship  is  a  visible  proof  of 
the  prosperity  with  which  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  crown 
his  labors.  You  well  know  the  deep  interest  which  he 
felt  in  its  erection,  and  how  he  desired  it,  not  from  any 
fondness  for  outward  show,  but  as  an  expression  of  your 
zeal  for  the  glory  of  your  Divine  Lord.  **I  recall,"  he 
says,  "  with  gratitude,  the  circumstances  in  which  it  was 
built,  the  design  of  its  erection,  the  spirit  in  which  the 
work  was  undertaken  and  carried  through.  It  was  built 
to  the  honor  of  God,  for  the  preaching  of  His  word  and 
the  ministering  of  His  ordinances.  It  was  built  for  the 
use  of  His  people  as  a  free  church,  welcoming  all  to  the 
hearing  of  the  Gospel  and  to  participation  in  the  privi- 
leges of  His  House.  It  was  built  under  an  impulse  of 
thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  blessings  of  Christian  union. 
May  it  ever  preserve  this  significance !  May  it  ever  serve 
to  magnify  His  work  and  to  exalt  His  name ! " 

The  excellent  fruits  of  his  ministry  have  been  visible 
also  in  your  gifts  to  various  departments  of  Christian 
benevolence,  in  the  growth  and  usefulness  of  your  Sab- 
bath-school, in  the  number  added  to  the  membership  of 
the  church,  and  in  the  harmony  which  from  first  to  last 
marked  the  relation  of  pastor  and  people.  Said  I  not 
truly  a  few  moments  ago  that  few  churches  have  such  a 
pastor  to  lose? 

To  lose  !  Ah,  let  us  employ  another  word  in  speaking 
of  his  translation  to  the  heavenly  bliss.  Such  as  he  are 
not  lost  to  us,  nor  to  the  Church  of  God.  The  memory 
of  his  life  and  example  remains  to  us  a  constant  inspira- 
tion, a  sacred  force,  working  unseen  in  human  hearts, 
helping,  cheering,  elevating,  bringing  forth  results  which 
in  the  great  day  shall  appear  unto  his  joy  and  the  praise 
of  the  Lord  whom  he  delighted  to  serve.  His  faithful 
ministry  here,  which  guided  and    sanctified  many,  will, 


22  FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

through  their  prayers  and  labors,  continue  to  guide  and 
sanctify  others  and  still  others,  generation  after  genera- 
tion, until  at  last  a  great  multitude  shall  call  him  blessed. 
He  rests  from  his  labors;  but  his  works  do  follow  him. 
In  this  connection  his  own  words  in  his  Anniversary  Ser- 
mon are  deeply  suggestive :  "  As  I  think  of  more  than 
seventy-five  young  communicants  connected  at  present 
with  this  Church,  and  of  many  other  youth  who  are  not 
communicants,  members  of  that  institution  (the  Sem- 
inary) and  of  the  families  of  this  congregation,  the  con- 
viction presses  upon  me  that  the  success  or  failure  of  my 
ministry  during  these  twenty-five  years  will  be  deter- 
mined as  it  shall  be  seen  what  manner  of  persons  these 
youths  shall  prove  to  be.  Oh,  that  they  may  prove  to  be 
good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ !  Oh,  that  they  may  shine 
as  lights  in  the  world  !  May  they  be  known  to  Jesus  as 
His  true  and  faithful  friends  !  May  the  cause  of  Christ 
find  in  them  loyal,  brave,  unflinching  defenders  and  pro- 
moters;  firm  in  their  attachment  to  the  truth;  ready 
unto  every  good  work  I  " 

Oh,  friends,  fail  not  to  discharge  the  solemn  obligation 
under  which  you  now  stand  to  your  deceased  pastor ! 
You  cherished  him  in  life.  Not  all  pastors  are  permitted 
to  address  their  congregations  in  the  touching  words 
which  he  spoke  to  you  when  he  said  :  "  These  toils  and 
these  sorrows  have  never  been  aggravated  by  the  sadness 
that  comes  from  an  experience  of  alienation,  of  hostility, 
or  even  of  coldness  and  indifference  on  the  part  of  a  peo- 
ple. Far  otherwise,  they  have  been  lightened  by  your 
manifest  sympathy,  by  your  unremitting  care  for  my 
comfort  and  support,  and  by  the  unmistakable  evidences 
of  your  confidence  and  attachment.  It  has  been  happi- 
ness to  live  among  you  and  to  live  for  you." 


FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  23 

Add  now  to  this  the  fulfihinent  of  the  sacred  obligation 
to  cherish  his  memory,  to  carry  forward  his  work,  to  en- 
rich others  with  the  blessings  wherewith  his  fidelity  has 
enriched  you,  and  thus  to  perpetuate  the  ministry  which 
has  so  long  been  a  fountain  of  good  to  you  and  yours. 

Death  hath  made  no  breach 

In  love  and  sympathy,  in  hope  and  trust  ; 

No  outward  sign  or  sound  our  ears  can  reach, 

But  there  's  an  inward,  spiritual  speech 

That  greets  us  still,  tho'  mortal  tongues  be  dust. 

It  bids  us  do  the  work  that  they  laid  down, 

Take  up  the  song  where  they  broke  off  the  strain  ; 

So  journeying  till  we  reach  the  heavenly  town. 

Where  are  laid  up  our  treasures  and  our  crown. 
And  our  lost  loved  ones  will  be  found  again. 

The  next  address  was  made  by  the  Rev.  Wilson 
Phraner,  D.D.,  of  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y. 

DR.    PHRANER'S  address. 

.  .  .  Dear  Brethren,  our  Christian  faith  and  our 
Christian  hope  do  sustain  us  in  a  day  and  in  an  hour  like 
this,  so  that  we  may  smile  in  the  midst  of  our  tears ;  we 
may  rejoice  in  the  midst  of  our  sorrow ;  we  may  give 
thanks  to  God  even  in  the  sadness  of  our  spirit.  The 
Lord  takes  away  our  loved  ones,  but  we  do  not  wholly 
lose  the  good  which  they  have  done.  It  still  lives  in  the 
thoughts  of  the  deeds  and  precious  memories  on  earth,  as 
they  live  in  heaven.  I  do  not  claim,  and  none  of  us 
would  think  of  claiming,  that  our  dear  Brother  Baird  was 
a  perfect  man,  and  yet  I  must  say  to  you  that  the  very 
first  passage  from  God's  Word,  which  came  to  my  mind 
as  I  read  the  announcement  of  his  death,  was  "  A  perfect 
man,     .     .     .     the  end  of  that  man  is  peace  "  ;  and  yet 


24  FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

another  passage  came  immediately  to  my  thoughts,  "  A 
good  man  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith."  Do  not 
these  last  words  strongly  and  most  appropriately  apply 
to  this  dear  brother  who  has  now  gone  from  us?  While 
none  of  us  are  inclined  to  indulge  in  indiscriminate  or 
extravagant  eulogy — nothing  would  be  more  out  of  place 
here — nevertheless,  I  must  be  allowed  to  say  that  it  does 
seem  to  me  that  as  many  or  more  elements  that  go  to 
make  up  truly  noble  Christian  character,  true  and  gen- 
uine manhood — more  of  these  elements,  such  as  gentle- 
ness, kindness,  sympathy,  fidelity,  conscientiousness, 
truthfulness,  transparency,  diligence  in  his  work,  fidelity 
in  all  his  duties, — I  say  more  of  these  elements,  it  seems 
to  me,  entered  into  this  dear  brother's  character  than  I 
have  often  seen  elsewhere. 

I  will  speak  a  word  simply  on  behalf  of  the  Presbytery 
with  which  our  dear  brother  was  connected.  I  have  but 
uttered,  beloved  friends,  the  sentiment,  I  am  sure,  of  all 
my  brothers  when  I  say  that  no  man  in  all  our  number 
was  more  respected,  more  beloved,  more  influential  for 
good,  more  prized  for  his  work,  more  useful  than  he. 
Nay,  I  should  say  that  no  man,  no  single  one,  was  so 
much  beloved,  so  highly  appreciated,  so  sincerely  re- 
garded as  he.  I  speak  for  my  brethren,  and  I  believe 
that  it  would  be  but  the  unanimous  voice  of  those  for 
whom  I  speak  when  I  give  him  this  place  of  prominence 
among  his  brethren.  His  presence  with  us  was  always  a 
joy  and  a  benediction.  He  was  always  faithful  in  his 
duty,  ready  for  service,  doing  everything  with  a  measure 
of  excellence  and  perfection  which  was  remarkable.  He 
acted  as  historian  of  the  Presbytery  from  the  beginning 
of  our  existence  in  the  present  relations,  and  has  done 
an  amount  of  work — public  work,  too  often  unrecognized 


FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  25 

and  too  often,  alas,  unappreciated — which  is  unknown  in- 
deed, except  to  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in 
those  intimate  and  endeared  relations  which  a  brother  of 
this  Presbytery  had  with  him.  I  will  make  an  allusion 
to  our  last  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  only  a  few  weeks 
ago,  when  he  was  called  upon  to  offer  a  few  words,  which 
proved  to  have  been  his  valedictory  to  his  brethren  of 
the  Presbytery.  The  dignity  and  appropriateness,  as 
well  as  the  force  and  beauty  of  the  thought  which  he 
then  uttered,  impressed  me.  I  think  that  they  were  fit- 
ting farewell  words,  although  it  was  unthought  of  by  him, 
or  by  any  of  us,  that  we  should  hear  his  voice  no  more 
among  us.  Yet  I  do  rejoice  that  he  was  induced  to  make 
that  brief  address  to  his  brethren  of  the  Presbytery.  But 
I  must  not  trespass  upon  your  time.  I  want  simply  to 
say  a  few  things  in  closing,  first,  to  these  dear  friends 
who  knew  best  and  loved  most  this  beloved  brother. 
Prize  the  legacy,  the  unspeakable  legacy,  which  he  has 
left  you  in  that  symmetrical  and  beautiful  Christian  char- 
acter, and  in  that  earnest,  faithful,  useful  Christian  life 
which  he  has  left  to  you.  It  is  the  richest  and  the  best 
of  all  possible  legacies  which  he  could  have  left  you,  a 
source  of  inspiration,  of  help,  of  hope,  of  joy,  and  a  bless- 
ing for  you  all  the  days  of  your  life. 

To  this  beloved  and  bereaved  congregation  and  com- 
munity, may  I  not  utter  this  word :  Remember  the 
words  which  our  dear  brother  spoke  while  he  was  yet 
with  you  ;  his  wise,  his  earnest,  his  faithful  counsel,  ad- 
monitions, exhortations,  and  his  instructions  derived  from 
God's  Word.  Would  you  see  his  monument  ?  Look 
about  you  in  this  beautiful  sanctuary.  But  methinks  that 
not  only  have  his  words  impressed  themselves  upon  you, 
but  that  his  image  lives  in  many  of  your  hearts.    Cherish 


26  FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

the  memory  of  the  labors  and  prayers  of  this  beloved 
pastor,  so  freely  given  on  your  behalf. 

To  my  brethren,  the  ministers  of  the  Presbytery,  in- 
deed to  all,  I  may  say  :  Earth  grows  poorer  as  we  go  on- 
ward in  life,  and  our  precious  friends  drop  out  from  us 
by  the  wayside.  The  rest  of  the  earthly  journey  will  be 
more  lonely  to  many  from  the  departure  of  this  dear 
brother  in  Christ,  but  as  on  earth  our  treasures  grow  less, 
so  in  Heaven  they  increase  ;  and  is  there  not  an  influence 
and  power  in  the  translation  of  one,  and  such  a  one,  from 
our  midst  to  the  world  above,  which  will  serve  to  help 
up  our  souls  and  bring  us  into  closer  communion  and 
fellowship  with  all  divine  and  heavenly  things  ?  Shall 
not  Heaven  be  nearer  and  Heaven  be  dearer  henceforth 
from  the  fact  that  another  of  our  friends  has  gone  hither  ? 
In  the  thought  of  his  translation  and  of  the  glory  which 
he  now  beholds  before  the  Throne,  shall  we  not  find  in- 
spiration to  courage,  earnestness,  and  fidelity  in  our  duty 
to  the  end  of  our  journey? 

The  Rev.  John  Reid,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  speaking  in  behalf  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Westchester,  of  which  Dr.  Baird  was  a 
member,  made  the  closing  remarks. 

REMARKS   BY   THE   REV.   JOHN   REID. 

The  relations  existing  between  the  members  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Westchester  are  not  only  ecclesiastical  and 
official ;  they  are  personal  and  fraternal.  Others  who 
have  been  with  us  in  the  interchange  of  social  feelings 
have  more  than  once  said  :  "  These  Christians  love  one 
another."  "  We  be  brethren^  Always,  as  a  Presbytery, 
even  when  we  have  passed  through  hours  when  passions 


FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  2/ 

were  excited  and  when  opposing  sentiments  were  es- 
poused with  no  little  degree  of  warmth,  we  have  known 
the  blessedness  of  dwelling  together  in  unity.  So  that, 
I  am  sure,  the  experience  of  one  of  its  members  was  the 
experience  of  them  all — and  especially  of  those  whose 
duty  it  was,  on  the  recent  Sabbath,  to  conduct  public 
service  in  the  Sanctuary, — that  thought  was  burdened 
with  the  remembrance  that  a  revered  father  and  beloved 
brother,  the  pastor  of  this  congregation  and  preacher  to 
this  people  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  had 
preached  his  last  sermon  ;  and,  having  kept  the  faith  and 
finished  his  course,  had  gone  to  stand  with  the  elders 
round  about  the  throne.  The  other  churches  sorrowed 
with  this  church  which  had  lost  its  spiritual  leader. 
With  this  people  all  the  others  bowed  humbly  and  sub- 
missively unto  that  sovereign  Lord  who  alone  giveth  life 
and  in  whose  hands  is  the  breath  of  us  all — Jesus,  the 
great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  and  Head  of  the  Church 
which  he  purchased  with  his  own  precious  blood. 

Notwithstanding  the  circumstances — and  they  are 
many  more  than  those  which  have  been  already  alluded 
to — which  tend  to  sweeten  the  bitterness  of  this  trial,  I 
feel  that  we  would  not  be  true  to  our  own  hearts  if  we 
in  any  measure  sought  to  hide  the  very  mournful  charac- 
ter of  the  event  which  has  called  us  together.  It  is  a 
very  great  loss  which  hath  brought  us  to  this  place.  By 
the  removal  of  such  a  relative  as  he  was,  a  household  has 
suffered  irrevocable  loss  ;  by  the  removal  of  such  a  citi- 
zen this  community  is  not  so  strong  as  it  was  ;  by  the 
removal  of  such  a  minister  the  church  is  very  deeply  be- 
reaved. For  the  sake  of  such  a  one  himself,  when  he  is 
gone,  we  may  truly  rejoice.  We  cannot  lift  up  the  cur- 
tain which  falls  between  us  and  the  glories  of  the  eternal 


28  FUNERAL    SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

world  ;  but  we  can  even  now,  with  the  eye  of  faith,  see 
the  shining  path  up  which  our  beloved  went  to  his 
heavenly  home.  His  is  the  gain,  but  the  loss  is  still  ours, 
and  we  cannot  but  mourn  at  his  removal  from  our  midst. 
Blessed  be  God  !  our  religion  does  not  lessen  the  value 
of  earth's  friendships  ;  it  rather  enhances  them.  When 
the  mind  is  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  grace,  a  new  ele- 
ment of  strength  is  added  to  the  life  of  nature  ;  instead 
of  repressing  our  rising  sobs  and  gathering  tears,  our  re- 
ligion bids  these  come  forth  that  they  may  call  up  our 
deeper  emotions  to  the  honor  of  her  own  blessed 
name. 

By  the  removal  of  such  a  man  as  Dr.  Baird  was,  just 
so  much  goodness  has  been  taken  out  of  a  world  which 
needs  all  it  can  get  ;  just  so  much  helpfulness  has  gone 
out  of  the  lives  of  very  many  ;  just  so  much  of  that 
most  potent  and  all-pervading  influence,  a  holy  and  con- 
sistent example,  has  been  taken  away.  Besides  the 
other  characteristics  which  have  been  alluded  to,  my  mind 
has  been  dwelling  upon  these  three  as  having  been  pecul- 
iarly prominent  in  our  brother.  When  we  speak  of 
goodness  in  connection  with  his  name,  we  mean  that 
wonderfully  ripened  work  of  divine  grace  which  was  so 
apparent  in  his  heart  and  life.  That  always  makes  itself 
known  by  its  presence.  The  very  presence  of  a  holy 
man  is  not  only  a  blessing  ;  it  is  a  security  to  a  commu- 
nity. There  was  the  element  of  helpfulness  in  him. 
Selfishness  is  the  predominant  principle  of  our  nature  ; 
and  in  the  toils  and  struggles  of  this  life  we  need  all  the 
sympathy  and  help  that  our  fellow-creatures  can  give. 
And  I  do  not  know  of  a  surer  mark  by  which  one  can 
judge  of  another's  sterling  goodness  than  this,  that  as 
soon  as  he  comes  into  the  presence  of  his  fellows  they 


FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES.  29 

are  helped  and  cheered  and  encouraged.  Dr.  Baird  was 
one  with  whom  you  could  cominu7te.  They  who  know 
him  well,  know  what  I  mean  ;  for  I  cannot  trust  myself 
to  speak  at  any  length  about  this.  To  me  he  was  at 
once  a  father  and  a  brother,  whose  counsel  was  often 
sought,  whose  advice  was  as  often  followed,  whose  mem- 
ory will  never  cease  to  cheer.  Consistency  was  another 
of  his  marked  characteristics.  I  remember  that  in  his 
inaugural  address,  the  honored  professor.  Dr.  Hastings, 
of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  quoted  the  words 
of  Ruskin,  which  run  something  to  the  effect  that  on 
clear  waters  there  can  be  no  shadows — shadows  of  cloud 
and  mountain  and  tree  ;  these  rest  upon  turbid  rivers, 
and  that  because  there  is  so  much  of  earthy  matter 
mixed  up  with  them,  but  clear  rivers  show  only  reflec- 
tions. Dr.  Baird,  one  of  the  directors  of  that  Seminary, 
was  one  of  the  auditors  of  that  address.  And  Dr. 
Baird  was  always  one  of  those  clear  rivers.  Of  a  very 
childlike  and  transparent  simplicity  and  purity,  he  re- 
flected heaven  on  earth.  We  know  what  his  religious 
principles  were.  They  were  those  in  which  he  had  been 
reared  in  childhood  ;  he  vowed  to  maintain  them  in  his 
ordination  ;  he  ever  manifested  them  in  private  conver- 
sation and  correspondence  ;  he  faithfully  preached  them 
in  the  public  ministrations  of  God's  house,  and  at  last  in 
the  faith  of  them  he  went  down  into  the  dark  valley,  and 
passing  through,  has  gone  up  to  the  bright  and  golden 
gate.  Wise  in  his  counsel,  efficient  in  his  action,  instruc- 
tive in  his  teaching,  one  of  the  kindest  and  most  sympa- 
thetic of  friends  to  everybody  whom  he  met,  his  name 
will  be  loved  and  his  memory  will  be  revered  wherever  his 
history  and  character  are  known. 

Dear  brethren  of    this  church,  yours  is  a  great  loss. 


30  FUNERAL   SERVICES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

You  may  meet  many  men  and  you  may  meet  many 
ministers  before  you  see  his  like  again.  But  God, 
you  must  know,  has  you  and  your  interests  in  his 
care.  Seek  his  face  and  trust  his  promise.  The 
Lord  sanctify  you  in  this  great  sorrow  and  sore  be- 
reavement. The  Lord  lift  up  the  light  of  his  counte- 
nance upon  you  and  bless  you.  Strive  so  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  this  day  as  that  you  may  realize  this  prom- 
ise of  divine  grace,  that  "  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord 
shall  renew  their  strength."  If  to  them  who  are  at  rest 
it  is  given  to  look  on  the  continued  labors  of  those  who 
are  yet  upon  the  earth,  surely  it  could  give  only  joy  to 
him  who  has  passed  from  his  earthly  labors  here  to  his 
heavenly  rest  there,  to  see  that  you  still  receive  and  re- 
member the  word  which  he  preached  unto  you  ;  that 
you  most  shrine  his  memory  in  your  hearts  in  order  to 
reproduce  his  character  in  your  lives  ;  and  that  in  the 
work  of  this  church,  standing  as  a  proof  of  his  devotion 
as  well  as  of  your  liberality,  his  very  removal  has  produced 
in  you  a  fresh  consecration  to  carry  on  what  you  know 
to  be  the  desire  of  his  heart  and  the  purpose  of  his  life. 

The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  the  Rev.  George 
E.  Stillman,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Rye. 

At  the  close  of  the  services  many  looked  on  the  placid 
face  of  the  beloved  dead.  The  body  remained  in  the 
church  until  the  morrow,  attended  through  the  night  by 
a  guard  of  honor  composed  of  the  trustees  and  a  number 
of  young  men  of  the  congregation.  On  Tuesday  morning, 
February  15th,  the  interment  took  place  in  Greenwood 
Cemetery,  attended  by  the  male  members  of  the  family,  a 
delegation  of  the  session,  and  the  trustees  of  the  church. 


MEMORIAL  SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 


At  a  Memorial  Service,  held  during  the  stated  meeting 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester  in  Peekskill,  N.  Y., 
April  20,  1887,  papers  were  read,  by  appointment  of 
that  body,  by  Rev.  J.  Aspinwall  Hodge,  D.D.,  of  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  and  Rev.  John  Reid,  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  and 
a  short  address  was  made  by  Rev.  R.  P.  H.  Vail,  D.D., 
of  Stamford,  Conn.  Dr.  Hodge  spoke  of  Dr.  Baird's 
character  and  work  as  a  minister. 

ADDRESS   OF   J.   ASPINWALL   HODGE,   D.D. 

The  death  of  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  has  brought 
to  us,  as  individuals  and  as  the  Presbytery,  a  loss  and 
sorrow  inexpressible.  But  sanctified  affliction  has  no 
desire  to  dwell  upon  its  own  personal  bereavement.  It 
delights  to  meditate  upon  the  love  of  our  Father  in 
heaven,  and  the  wisdom  and  grace  of  the  Sovereign 
Head  of  the  Church,  and  finds  comfort  and  honor  in 
what  God  has  accomplished  in  and  by  him  whom  He  has 
received  unto  Himself.  The  Presbytery  of  Westchester 
has  been  ennobled  by  the  life,  character,  and  labors  of 
Dr.  Charles  W.  Baird,  and  remembrance  of  him  will 
always  instruct  and  encourage  us.  He  was  too  young  a 
man  to  be  reverenced  as  a  patriarch,  or  as  Paul  the  aged, 
whose  years  and  infirmities  rendered  him  unfit  for  further 

31 


32  MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

service.  We  did  not  regard  him  as  a  father,  whose  prov- 
ince it  was  to  advise  and  direct  others  in  their  labors.  He 
was  not  a  leader,  claiming  lordship  or  accepting  control 
over  those  willing  to  be  directed.  Expressions  of  his 
acknowledged  superiority  were  silenced  by  his  peculiar 
deference  to  the  graces  he  perceived  in  his  fellow-servants 
of  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  our  best-beloved  brother.  When 
he  spoke  on  Christian  character,  on  the  doctrines  of 
Christ,  on  reverence  in  worship,  on  questions  of  polity, 
or  the  application  of  discipline,  all  listened  with  loving 
respect,  admiring  his  clear  apprehension  of  the  truth,  his 
delight  in  it,  and  his  desire  that  all  should  perceive  its 
sweetness  and  power.  The  influence  of  this  modest  man 
was  never  questioned,  neither  did  it  excite  surprise. 
The  sincerity  of  his  convictions  was  evident,  his  judgment 
was  based  on  sound  principles  and  applied  after  calm  and 
careful  investigation,  his  doctrines  were  the  revealed 
truth  of  God,  he  held  close  fellowship  with  men,  and  he 
walked  with  God.  He  was  to  us  an  ideal  Presbyterian,  a 
model  pastor,  and,  above  all,  the  most  perfect  exhibition 
of  Christ-like  character  in  our  midst. 

Such  he  was  in  the  Presbytery  of  Connecticut,  of  which 
for  five  years  he  was  stated  clerk.  Around  him  the 
twenty-eight  ministers  of  that  body  gathered  in  1870,  as 
we  came  to  the  organization  of  the  Presbytery  of  West- 
chester. The  opening  sermon  which  he  preached  was  a 
benediction  on  the  reunion  of  our  beloved  Church  and  a 
prayer  for  new  and  increased  power  from  above  and  for 
the  harmony  and  co-operation  of  its  members — "  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be  with  you."  In  this 
larger  body  he  was  at  once  appreciated.  He  was  de- 
pended upon  for  the  perfecting  of  our  organization ;  he 
was  made  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the  his- 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  33 

torian  of  the  Presbytery.  He  called  our  attention  to  our 
new  responsibilities,  and  became  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Church  Extension.  And  he  held  this  most  im- 
portant and  arduous  position  for  thirteen  years.  In  every 
emergency  all  naturally  turned  to  him.  In  threatened 
difficulties,  church  troubles,  ministerial  discipline,  excited 
controversies,  seasons  of  success  or  joyful  commemora- 
tion, new  undertakings,  personal  affliction  or  prosperity, 
we  relied  chiefly,  and  not  in  vain,  on  Dr.  Baird.  The 
reason  was  obvious.  Most  Christians  are  like  the  saints 
described  in  Scripture,  whose  prominent  grace  is  as  un- 
expected as  a  rose  blooming  in  the  midst  of  weeds.  They 
are  needed  in  certain  circumstances  ;  as  Samson,  when 
the  Philistines  are  upon  us,  or  as  Solomon,  to  give  judg- 
ment or  dedicate  a  temple.  Often  the  chief  characteristic 
is  as  uncertain  as  Peter's  forwardness — the  first  to  confess 
and  the  first  to  deny  Christ.  There  are,  however,  a  few 
like  Samuel  among  the  prophets  and  John  among  the 
apostles,  who  have  no  prominent  traits,  who  are  the 
same  in  public  and  private,  present  or  absent.  Their 
characters  are  symmetrically  developed  and  sanctified. 
Their  virtues  are  of  full  number,  ever  effective,  and  all 
expressed  in  every  action.  The  faithful  prophet  is  not 
more  strong  than  gentle,  his  severity  in  judgment  is 
equalled  only  by  his  tenderness  as  he  weeps  and  prays  for 
the  rejected  Saul  all  the  days  of  his  life.  The  beloved 
disciple  is  also  the  son  of  thunder,  never  more  one  than 
the  other.  These  are  not  comets  and  meteors  which 
surprise  and  dazzle  us  by  their  sudden  appearance  and 
splendor,  but  planets  which  calmly  and  continuously 
reflect  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  whose  attributes  are 
many,  severally  perfect,  and  are  one  glory.  It  was  be- 
cause Jesus  was  perfect  and  had  all  grace  that  men  with 


34  MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

every  burden  came  to  Him  and  found  rest  for  their  souls. 
Honored  is  that  Presbytery  which  has  had  a  member  who 
in  some  measure  reflected  the  harmony  of  the  divine 
graces.  We  have  gone  to  the  gentle  Baird  for  sympathy, 
and  have  found  the  strong  minister  as  well.  We  have 
asked  for  sound  judgment,  and  received  with  it  an  impulse 
to  feel  and  act  more  Christ-like. 

I  am  here  reminded  of  Dr.  Baird's  text  for  his  Quarter 
Century  Sermon,  "  Remember  that  thou  magnify  His 
work."  The  development  of  Christian  character  and  ef- 
ficiency is  indeed  God's  work,  and  to  Him  be  the  glory. 
The  chief  object  of  redemption  is  not  to  deliver  men 
from  punishment,  but  to  transform  them  after  His  own 
image  ;  out  of  the  miserable  materials  of  man's  fallen 
nature,  to  form  multitudes  to  be  to  the  praise  of  the 
glory  of  His  grace.  Out  of  rough  blocks  He  chisels 
seemly  likenesses  of  Himself.  The  processes  may  be 
long,  but  in  the  end  every  one  will  be  perfect  as  He  is 
perfect.  In  the  unfinished  work,  whenever  we  can  trace 
the  least  resemblance,  we  render  Him  praise.  How 
much  more  when  we  see  one  whose  very  presence  and 
every  tone,  word,  and  act  remind  us  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Our  admiration  of  God's  work  is  greatly  increased  by 
studying  the  process  by  which  He  accomplished  it. 
Creation  would  lose  more  than  half  its  charm  if  we 
knew  only  that  "  the  worlds  were  framed  by  the  word  of 
God."  The  new  creation  is  far  more  wonderful  than  the 
physical.  The  results,  though  each  perfect,  are  of  infi- 
nite variety  ;  the  method  of  development  in  each  case  is 
peculiar,  and  at  every  stage  of  the  process  efificiency  is 
manifested.  There  is  always  a  marvellous  adaptation  of 
means  to  the  end.  Out  of  a  pupil  of  Gamaliel,  "  a  blas- 
phemer, and   a  persecutor,    and    injurious,"   by   a   light 


MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  35 

from  heaven,  and  by  sufferings  innumerable,  and  thorns 
in  the  flesh,  God  made  Paul  the  chief  apostle  to  the 
Gentiles.  But  He  chose  the  son  of  Zebedee  to  be  the 
beloved  desciple,  and  by  the  serene  and  intimate  dis- 
cipline of  love  taught  him  to  know  the  deep  things  of 
God  and  the  glories  to  be  revealed. 

In  considering  the  work  of  God  let  us  notice  the  per- 
son chosen.  Dr.  Baird  always  delighted  to  trace  God's 
faithfulness  to  His  covenant.  There  is  indeed  a  great 
deal  in  blood — in  the  transmission  of  national  peculi- 
arities and  of  family  traits.  No  character  can  be  un- 
derstood without  a  study  of  ancestry.  Often  the  most 
perfect  comes  from  the  union  of  streams  from  distinct 
sources.  From  his  father  Dr.  Baird  received  the  sterling 
quahties  of  the  Scotch  race:  strength  of  character 
founded  on  principles,  calm  deliberation  in  forming 
judgments,  steadfastness  in  convictions  thus  obtained, 
conscientiousness,  untiring  perseverance,  fidelity  to 
friends,  and  self-sacrificing  devotion.  From  his  mother 
he  inherited  the  finer  graces  of  the  Huguenots  :  a  love 
for  the  true  and  beautiful,  gentle  courtesy,  refinement  of 
thought  and  manner,  patient  endurance,  persevering  in- 
dustry, hopefulness,  sympathy,  and  cheerfulness.  In  him 
these  national  traits  were  sanctified  by  covenant  grace. 
They  came  to  him  through  generations  who  had  conse- 
crated themselves  and  their  seed  unto  the  Lord,  whose 
faith  claimed  the  blessings  of  the  covenant,  and  whose 
accumulated  prayers  and  sanctified  influences  brought 
increasing  benedictions  upon  their  descendants.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  this  child  of  the  covenant,  born  of 
such  parents  and  under  their  holy  instruction,  should  in 
very  early  childhood  manifest  covenant  grace,  and  exhibit 
great  conscientiousness  and  love  to    Christ.     Nor  is  it 


36  MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

strange  that  he  passed  through  a  period  of  great  spiritual 
conflict  and  doubt.  For  children  who  are  consecrated 
from  the  womb,  or  regenerated  in  infancy,  are  unable  to 
recall  a  season  of  antagonism  against  God,  delight  in  sin, 
rejecting  offers  of  mercy,  and  grieving  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Their  love  for  Christ  has  come  as  naturally  as  love  for 
mother ;  their  desire  to  avoid  sin  and  do  right  has  ever 
been  their  impulse.  The  Bible  speaks  of  our  sinful  state 
by  nature,  of  carnal  impulses,  and  a  heart  deceitful 
above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked.  They  have 
been  conscious  of  no  sudden  change,  nor  of  the  wonder- 
ful transformation  of  character  described  by  others,  and 
the  doubt  and  darkness  come.  Are  they  not  still  in  the 
state  of  nature,  and  need  regeneration  into  real  Chris- 
tian life  ?  We  do  not  know  how  long  this  strug- 
gle continued  in  Charles  Baird,  nor  by  what  means  peace 
came.  But  he  soon  learned  that  a  star  is  recognized  as 
such,  even  if  we  cannot  tell  when  and  how  it  was  created  ; 
that  a  babe  lives  is  proof  that  it  has  been  born ;  that 
love  to  God  is  not  the  growth  of  an  unregenerate  heart ; 
that  faith  in  Christ  is  the  act  of  a  soul  united  to  Him, 
and  living  in  Him.  Before  the  child  was  thirteen  years 
his  doubts  were  removed  never  to  return  ;  he  had  the  full 
assurance  of  faith  and  hope,  and  entered  eagerly  into 
Christian  work. 

Let  us  consider  the  discipline  by  which  God  developed 
this  character.  From  what  has  already  been  said  we  do 
not  expect  exciting  incidents,  great  trials,  sudden 
changes,  nor  spiritual  exaltations  and  depressions,  con- 
flicts, threatened  defeats,  and  hardly-won  victories.  A 
Peter's  impulsiveness  needs  to  be  controlled  by  severe 
reproofs,  walks  on  boisterous  waves,  sifting  as  wheat,  and 
an  intimation  of  the  death  by  which  he  should  glorify 


MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  37 

God.  The  Pharisaical  zeal  of  Saul  needs  to  be  regulated 
and  transformed  by  suffering,  labors  more  abundant, 
perils  by  sea  and  land,  in  prisons,  and  deaths  oft.  Lest 
he  be  exalted  above  measure  by  his  gifts  and  visions,  a 
messenger  of  Satan  is  sent  to  buffet  him, — before  Paul 
can  fight  the  good  fight  and  receive  the  promised  crown. 
But  a  John's  course  is  even  and  undisturbed.  External 
changes,  which  trouble  others,  do  not  affect  him.  He 
does  not  flee  when  the  disciples  forsake  Christ.  He  is  as 
tranquil  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  as  in  the  triumphant 
entry  into  Jerusalem ;  persecution  does  not  hurt  him  ; 
banishment  to  Patmos  only  enables  him  to  see  clearer 
visions  of  his  Lord.  He  was  the  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved.  Not  that  he  was  the  favorite,  better  loved,  but, 
as  each  of  the  apostles  needed  a  different  discipline, 
Peter  was  treated  with  firmness  ;  Thomas  was  taught 
by  demonstration,  and  John  was  nourished  and  per- 
fected by  love.  To  him  God  was  love,  and  so  were  all 
providences,  duties,  privileges,  and  rewards.  The  aged 
saint  condensed  all  exhortations  in  "  little  children  love 
one  another."     .     .     . 

As  a  preacher  Dr.  Baird  did  not  aim  at  sensation  or 
popularity,  but  to  make  known  and  felt  the  doctrines  of 
grace.  As  a  pastor,  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor  alike 
came  under  his  personal  supervision,  and  all  shared  freely 
his  faithful  reproofs,  wise  instruction,  judicious  advice, 
exhortations  to  zeal  and  benevolence,  and  in  his  sym- 
pathy in  trials,  perplexities,  joys,  and  sorrows.  Some 
results  of  his  labors  may  be  noted  in  the  increase  of 
communicants  from  seventy-six  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty ;  two  hundred  and  fifty-one  having  professed  their 
faith,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  presented  certificates 
from  other  churches.     The  Sabbath-school  consisted  of 


38  MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

twenty-five  members ;  now  it  reports  two  hundred  and 
two.  In  1861  the  church  contributed  $222  to  our  church 
boards;  in  1886,  $1,966.  The  present  church  building  is 
a  visible  monument  of  his  labors  as  well  as  of  the  liber- 
ality of  the  people.  I  have  already  alluded  to  his  influ- 
ence and  work  in  the  Presbytery  and  among  his  brethren. 
The  results  of  his  studies  in  the  quiet  parsonage  at  Rye, 
affecting  important  interests  of  the  Church  and  world, 
will  be  presented  to  you  by  another.  As  we  glance  over 
this  outline  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that  his  life  was  a  unit. 
Each  step  was  ordered  by  God  as  a  preparation  for  his 
work  at  Rye  and  for  the  glory  into  which  he  has  now 
entered.  The  licentiate  whom  I  heard  edifying  the 
strangers  in  Rome,  and  saw  comforting  them  in  their 
loneliness  and  afflictions,  was  being  developed  into  the 
presbyter,  preacher,  and  pastor  at  Rye.  It  would  be 
interesting  and  instructive  to  trace  in  detail  the  process 
of  God's  discipline,  but  I  must  confine  myself  to  two 
influences  at  work.  I  select  these  as  samples,  and  be- 
cause they  were  peculiar  to  Dr.  Baird,  and  produced  in 
him  marked  results.  ...  It  was  during  his  sojourn 
in  Europe  that  the  young  Charles  became  conscious  of 
his  faith  and  began  his  Christian  activity.  The  grand 
ideas  of  the  importance  of  evangelical  truth,  of  vital 
piety,  of  personal  activity,  and  of  true  Christian  union, 
filled  his  father  with  an  enthusiasm  which  he  imparted 
to  all  around  him.  It  is  not  strange  that  these  ideas 
were  impressed  upon  the  son  and  gave  tone  and  direction 
to  his  Christian  life  and  activity.  Association  with  his 
father  in  Europe,  and  afterwards  in  America,  developed 
these  into  permanent  characteristics.  He  was  not  a 
Peter  who  needed  a  thrice-repeated  vision  to  persuade 
him  to  preach  the  gospel  to  one  of  another  nation,  and  who 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  39 

was  blamed  and  reproved  by  Paul  for  separating  himself 
from  Gentile  Christians,  but  a  John,  who  was  as  much  at 
home  in  Ephesus  as  in  Jerusalem,  who  tells  us  of  the 
other  sheep  to  be  brought,  of  the  one  fold  and  one 
Shepherd,  who  records  Christ's  intercessory  prayer  for 
Christian  union,  and  who  beheld  the  sealing  of  the  one 
hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of 
Israel,  and  the  multitude  whom  no  man  could  number  of 
all  nations,  kindreds,  peoples,  and  tongues.  He  was  a 
true  Presbyterian,  not  only  loyal  to  the  doctrines,  polity 
forms  of  worship,  and  discipline  of  his  Church,  but  also 
heartily  adopting  its  chief  characteristics :  fidelity  to  the 
system  of  evangelical  truth,  acknowledging  the  brother- 
hood of  all  those  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
sincerity,  and  the  recognition  of  all  Christian  denomina- 
tions as  parts  of  the  one  visible  Church  of  God,  which 
should  be  in  full  sympathy  and  cooperation,  as  they  are 
mutually  related  and  dependent.  His  pastorate  at  Rye 
as  a  demonstration  of  his  estimate  of  that  system  of  doc- 
trine taught  in  Holy  Scripture  and  in  the  standards  of 
our  Church,  of  his  interest  in  every  Christian  endeavor. 
He  imparted  to  his  people  an  enthusiasm  for  our  Church 
and  loyalty  to  all  its  boards.  Ever  known  as  a  decided 
Presbyterian,  he  yet  (indeed,  for  that  reason)  took  the 
deepest  interest  in  the  operations  at  home  and  abroad  of 
every  denomination.  As  a  pastor  he  was  welcomed  in 
every  house  in  the  village,  and  to  the  bedside  even  of  the 
dying  Romanist. 

In  referring  to  the  other  influence  at  work  in  his 
development,  I  must  again  recall  the  important  year  of 
1841.  On  the  first  day  of  May  he  walked  with  his  tutor 
from  Paris  to  St.  Denis.  Resting  on  the  grass  there 
brought  on  a  violent  attack  of  rheumatism,  which  led  to 


40  MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

a  permanent  enlargement  of  the  heart.  I  know  not  what 
was  the  first  effect  of  this  experience  upon  the  young 
lad,  but  the  permanent  results  were  beneficial  and  sancti- 
fying. The  necessity  of  constant  care  and  watchfulness, 
the  avoidance  of  all  excitement,  continued  circumspec- 
tion, laboring  in  appointed  work,  more  diligently  because 
listening  for  the  summons  to  give  in  his  account ;  con- 
versing with  men  who  may  be  receiving  his  last  commu- 
nication, and  communing  with  Christ,  who  may  be  seen 
the  next  moment  face  to  face, — these  produced  in  him 
much  of  that  calmness  for  which  he  was  remarkable, 
retirement,  refusal  of  positions  of  honor  and  responsi- 
bility, his  quiet  earnestness  in  preaching,  painstaking 
investigation  of  truth,  consistency  of  life  and  influence, 
diligence  in  every  good  work,  the  holy  atmosphere  which 
surrounded  him,  and  the  joyful  anticipation  ever  present 
to  him  and  imparted  to  others.  He  was  like  Moses, 
whose  face  shone  from  communion  with  God  ;  like 
Aaron,  actually  touching  the  vail  surrounded  by  the 
incense  of  worship ;  and  like  John,  conscious  that  his  life 
depended  upon  the  mere  will  of  his  Lord — "  If  I  will  that 
he  tarry  till  I  come," — and  whose  thoughts  of  the  unseen 
yet  the  near  were  so  constant  and  vivid  that  his  visions 
of  Christ  and  the  New  Jerusalem  seem  almost  like  pres- 
ent realities.  Thus  for  many  years  Dr.  Baird  served  at 
the  altar  very  near  the  vail,  expecting  hourly  the  sum- 
mons to  enter  within.  The  call  did  not  surprise  him. 
Though  it  differed  in  form  from  what  he  anticipated,  he 
recognized  it  at  once.  "  It  js  not  my  heart  but  my  head, 
and  I  am  ready."     And  the  veil  closed  behind  him. 

Brethren  of  the  Presbytery  and  friends,  in  the  sorrow 
which  now  overshadows  us,  do  you  not  hear:  "Be  ye 
followers  of  me,  even  as  I  also  am  of  Chirst."     "  Hold 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  4 1 

fast  the  form  of  sound  words."  "  Pray  for  the  peace  of 
Jerusalem,"  "  that  all  may  be  one."  "  Be  ye  also  ready, 
for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man 
Cometh." 

Mr.  Reid  spoke  of  Dr.  Baird  as  a  writer  and  historian. 
ADDRESS   OF   REV.   JOHN    REID. 

The  glowing  eulogy  to  which  we  have  listened  has 
well  and  truly  depicted  our  brother's  character  as  a  man 
and  presbyter.  It  remains  here  to  chronicle  something 
of  the  influence  which  he  exerted  in  the  Church  at  large 
and  in  the  world,  particularly  by  means  of  his  writings, 
and  his  interest  and  activity  in  beneficent  works.  It  is 
not  expected  that  this  will  be  exhaustive,  as  entering  into 
the  details ;  it  is  designed  to  be  commemorative,  as  pres- 
enting the  outlines,  in  these  respects,  of  a  very  busy  and 
fruitful  life.     .     .     . 

Man  is  by  no  means  the  creature  of  his  circumstances ; 
but  every  man's  surroundings  wield  a  great  influence  in 
the  formation  of  his  tastes  and  habits  ;  and  his  earliest 
surroundings  doubtless  give  direction  to  the  entire  course 
of  his  life.  And  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Dr.  Baird's 
subsequent  life  and  labor  were  affected  throughout  by 
the  education  and  impressions  which  he  received  amid 
the  historic  associations  of  his  early  scenes.     .     .     . 

Dr.  Baird  loved  study.  And  this  love  for  letters,  which 
was  inborn,  mingled  with  a  quiet  patience  and  firmly 
resolute  will  in  their  pursuit,  made  him  the  scholar  we 
all  revered.  Accuracy  was  the  distinguishing  feature  of 
his  intellect  and  culture.  In  every  instance,  and  with  the 
utmost  nicety,  was  any  literary  fabric  upon  which  he 
labored  fairly  morticed  into  the  framework  of  his  mind. 


42  MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

Finely  adjusted  from  the  beginning,  the  balance  between 
power  and  faculty  was  maintained  with  him  to  the  end. 
We  all  knew  him  as  one  eminently  thoughtful  and  prac- 
tical, in  whose  mind  judgment  ruled  over  imagination. 
In  a  word,  his  scholarship  was  the  complement  of  his 
character.  Without  having  any  of  its  features  peculiarly 
prominent,  it  was,  in  the  altogether  of  its  form,  full-orbed 
in  beauty,  really  symmetrical  in  combination,  chastened 
and  finished  into  roundness  and  completeness.  Very 
concise  and  simple,  his  style  as  a  writer  was  warm  and 
glowing,  vigorous  and  forcible.  It  is  a  feature,  even  of 
his  wider  historical  works,  which  much  impresses  us,  and 
gives  to  them  a  peculiar  value :  that  the  author's  person- 
ality is  so  embodied  in  his  writings.  Thus  to  read  a  writer 
is  always  to  vivify  what  he  wrote.  Dr.  Baird's  oration, 
afterwards  published,  which  was  delrvered  before  the 
Beta  Chapter  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  in  the  New 
York  University  last  year,  on  "  The  Scholar's  Duty  and 
Opportunity,"  for  example,  marked  the  wide  compass 
of  a  master  mind  in  the  originality  of  conception,  the 
acuteness  of  observation,  the  discrimination  of  judgment, 
and  the  clearness  of  decision  with  which  he  dealt  with 
political  and  social  questions  that  are  now  agitating  the 
minds  of  men,  and  will  for  a  long  time  to  come  require 
the  wisdom  of  the  wisest  to  solve  and  to  settle.  And 
those  who  heard  the  sermon  which,  at  the  invitation  of 
the  Faculty,  he  preached  in  the  same  place  on  the  Day  of 
Prayer  for  Colleges,  only  two  weeks  before  he  died,  were 
deeply  moved  by  a  beauty  of  diction,  a  depth  of  pathos, 
the  dignity  of  a  refined  spirit,  which  illustrated  well  the 
duty  as  it  laid  hold  upon  an  opportunity  of  the  Christian 
scholar  who,  in  the  school  of  Jesus,  had  learned  well 
"  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,"  and  was  himself  so 
nearly  ripe  to  be  transplanted  to  its  home.     .     .     . 


MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  43 

While  Dr.  Baird's  powers  of  imagination  were  not  his 
predominant  ones,  he  had  that  devout  spirit  which  pe- 
culiarly delights  in  music  and  poetry,  as  was  manifested 
during  his  earlier  years,  and  from  time  to  time  in  later 
life,  in  many  contributions  to  the  treasury  of  our  sacred 
song.  It  was  during  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking 
that  he  wrote  "  Lays  of  the  Cross,"  which  appeared  in 
successive  numbers  of  Graham  s  Christian  Parlor  Maga- 
zine, and  among  which  were  "  Behold  Your  King,"  "  Be- 
hold the  Man,"  "  The  Dream  of  Pilate's  Wife,"  and  others. 
Frederick  Saunders,  in  "  Evenings  with  the  Sacred 
Poets,"  writes  that  "a  happy  union  of  beautiful  senti- 
ment with  the  music  of  verse  is  seen  in  this  sweet  lyric, 
by  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Baird,  of  Rye,  N.  Y."  : 

In  all  the  scenes  of  childhood's  day 

That  memory  paints,  as  years  recede, 

The  beauty  of  a  blessed  deed 
Is  last  to  fade  away. 

***** 
The  guileless  love  that  lasted  long, 

The  zeal  of  piety  unfeigned. 

The  courage  of  a  heart  unstained 
That  only  feared  the  wrong. 
The  lingering  prayer  put  up  at  night 

Low  bending  by  my  mother's  knee, 

The  tear  of  pity,  and  the  glee 
Of  innocent  delight, — 
These  are  the  memories  that  she  brings, 

Kind  guardian  of  mine  earlier  days, 

These  are  the  nightly  thoughts  that  raise 
Mine  eyes  to  holier  things. 

The  recognition  and  appreciative  praise  of  such  emi- 
nent authorities  in  hymnology  and  sacred  song  justify 
and  emphasize  the  hope  we  would  fain  express  that 
something  will  be  done  to  preserve  the  poetic  produc- 
tions of  a  gifted  and  saintly  mind. 


44  MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

In  the  year  1846  the  Evangelical  Alliance  was  formed 
in  England.  Dr.  Baird,  Sr.,  was  an  active  and  honored 
participant  in  its  establishment  and  deliberations.  In 
1 85 1,  largely  through  his  efforts,  the  "American  Branch," 
which  had  been  previously  formed,  but  did  not  prosper, 
was  renewed  and  permanently  established.  But  during 
the  years  '48,  '49,  and  '50  the  interests  of  the  Alliance 
movement  here  had  been  fostered  by  The  Christian 
Union  and  Religions  Memorial.,  a  valuable  periodical 
which  was  published  every  month,  and  which  became 
eventually  the  organ  of  the  American  Alliance.  This 
was  under  the  editorial  supervision  of  the  father,  "  but 
the  principal  portion  of  the  editorial  labors  devolved 
upon  his  son."  Occasionally  contributing  original  arti- 
cles, both  prose  and  poetical.  Dr.  Baird's  work  in  this  was 
largely  that  of  compilation  and  translation,  but  necessi- 
tating throughout  untiring  labor  and  care,  and  calling  in 
his  wide  familiarity  with  religious  literature  and  the  im- 
portant movements  of  the  day.  Now  also,  in  connection 
with  the  Rev.  Benjamin  N.  Martin,  D.D.,  a  professor  in 
the  New  York  University,  he  wrote  the  greater  part  of 
"  The  Christian  Retrospect  and  Register,"  pubhshed  in 
185 1 — "a  volume  devoted  to  a  review  of  the  world's 
progress  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  which 
was  issued  under  Dr.  Baird's  [the  father's]  auspices." 

In  this  way  the  year  after  his  college  graduation  was 
filled  with  literary  labors  of  great  worth.  In  the  fall  of 
1849  ^^  entered  the  Union  Theological  Seminary.  One 
who  was  a  student  with  him,  and  is  now  an  honored  pro- 
fessor there,  remembers  him  then  as  "  a  quiet,  modest, 
refined,  scholarly  man,  deeply  serious  in  all  his  work  and 
ways.  Peculiarly  patient  and  thorough  as  a  student, 
whatever  he  did,  he  did  well."     In  1886  he  was  elected 


MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  45 

a  Director  of  the  Seminary.  For  five  years  before  his 
death  he  had  been  the  Necrologist  of  the  Alumni  Associ- 
ation. All  who  knew  his  spirit  can  understand  how  that 
"he  rendered,  in  that  relation,  admirable  service."  .  .  . 
Licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  in  1852,  he  assumed  the 
charge  of  the  American  Chapel  in  Rome,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  labor  until  near  the  close  of  1854,  when  he  re- 
turned to  this  country.  Up  to  1859  there  appears  here  a 
gap  in  his  ministerial  life.  But  the  period  is  especially 
marked,  in  his  literary  activity,  as  the  time  when  his  well- 
known  liturgical  works  appeared.  Brought  up  amid  the 
surroundings  of  Paris  and  Geneva,  attracted  by  his  innate 
love  of  "  order  "  to  a  study  of  the  liturgies  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,  probably  knowing  more  about  these  than  any 
other  man  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  it  had  occurred  to 
him,  as  to  Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  "  even  to  doubt  whether 
the  well-known  doctrine  of  our  beloved  Church  with  re- 
gard to  liturgies  may  not  have  been  so  rigidly  interpreted 
and  so  unskilfully  applied  as  to  lead  to  practical  misap- 
prehension and  mischief  in  regard  to  the  devotional  part 
of  the  services  of  our  sanctuaries."  Deeply  moved  by 
the  inadequacy,  not  to  say  irregularity,  which  is  still 
often  to  be  lamented  in  such  services,  he  felt  "  that  by 
so  much  as  the  public  worship  of  God  may  be  rendered 
attractive,  may  awaken  interest,  and  excite  and  sustain 
devotional  feeling,  by  so  much  have  we  lost  power  and 
influence  as  a  Church."  Maintaining  and  always  exem- 
plifying the  simplicity  and  integrity  of  his  Church,  Dr. 
Baird  had  peculiar  honor  and  love  for  her  traditions. 
So,  disavowing  any  "  voice  of  authority,"  he  entered  upon 
a  purely  historical  discussion  of  the  true  theory  and  nor- 
mal practice  of  our  Church  in  this  regard.  The  result  of 
this  appeared  in  his  "  Eutaxia."    The  book  was  published 


46  MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

anonymously  in  1855,  3-"^  afterwards  reprinted  in  London 
under  the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Binney.  It 
must  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  pioneer  books  in  the  re- 
vival of  interest  in  liturgical  studies.  Avoiding  the  two 
extremes — on  the  one  hand,  that  certain  forms  alone 
should  be  used ;  on  the  other,  that  no  forms  should  be 
admitted — Dr.  Baird  maintained  the  theory  of  an  optional 
use  of  a  liturgy  which  should  have  the  sanction  of  an- 
tiquity and  of  Church  authority.  In  about  a  year  this 
was  followed  by  "  A  Book  of  Public  Prayer,  Compiled 
from  the  Authorized  Formularies  of  Worship  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  as  Prepared  by  the  Reformers,  Calvin, 
Knox,  and  Others."  Whatever  his  view  of  the  question 
involved,  the  student  of  ecclesiastical  history  will  not  fail 
to  note  his  indebtedness  to  Dr.  Baird  for  the  very  com- 
plete and  careful  resume  of  the  liturgies  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,  and  for  the  very  accurate  review  of  their  rela- 
tions to  one  another  and  to  all  other  liturgical  forms, 
which  he  has  given  in  these  admirable  volumes.  "  Our 
Church  possesses  a  devotional  literature  of  her  own,  rich 
and  copious."  And  grateful  to  our  brother  for  "  making 
known  the  forgotten  worship  of  our  fathers — the  prayers 
that  have  nourished  the  faith  of  generations,  that  have 
breathed  from  the  lips  of  martyrs,  that  have  hallowed 
the  caves  and  deserts  of  persecution,"  there  are  many 
who  share  in  what  was  his  hope,  that  the  day  is  not  far 
distant  when,  in  our  common  use  of  the  wisdom  and  piety 
of  other  ages,  new  dignity  and  solemnity  and  impressive- 
ness  shall  be  associated,  among  us,  with  the  strength  and 
beauty  that  belong  to  God's  house.     .     .     . 

On  the  day  of  national  thanksgiving  in  1865,  in  which 
year  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  town  of  Rye 
had  occurred,  the  pastor  delivered  a  discourse,  which  gave 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  47 

not  only  a  history  of  the  Presbyterian  church  there,  but 
an  outline  of  the  history  of  the  town  itself.  A  request 
from  many  of  his  parishioners  that  the  address  should  be 
published,  led  to  his  elaborate  "  History  of  Rye,"  which 
appeared  in  1871  ;  and  which  in  its  preparation  had 
"  occupied  many  of  the  leisure  hours  "  of  the  six  years 
that  had  preceded.  To  the  valuable  "  History  of  West- 
chester County  "  published  last  year,  under  the  editorial 
supervision  of  Dr.  J.  T.  Scharf,  he  contributed  the  two 
chapters,  which  give  the  histories  of  Rye  and  Harrison. 
Because  of  his  rare  power  of  accumulation  and  retention 
and  discriminating  judgment  of  events,  he  was  "  the  his- 
torian of  our  Presbytery."  To  him  we  are  indebted  for 
the  very  complete  "  Historical  Account  of  Presbyterian- 
ism  in  the  Field  Embraced  by  the  Presbytery."  In  1879 
there  appeared  in  the  Magazine  of  American  History, 
and  afterwards  in  pamphlet  form,  his  "  Civil  Status  of 
the  Presbyterians  in  the  Province  of  New  York."  In 
1 88 1  was  published  his  "  History  of  Bedford  Church," 
which  had  in  that  year  celebrated  the  two  hundredth 
anniversary  of  its  founding.  "  One  practical  and  helpful 
result  of  his  history  has  been  the  deepening  of  this 
people's  love  for  their  church." 

At  the  time  he  commenced  his  "  History  of  Rye,"  Dr. 
Baird  had  no  thought  of  taking  up  his  greatest  work, 
which  was  also  to  be  his  last.  His  mother  was  one  whose 
ancestors  had  been  driven  from  their  native  country  by 
the  persecuting  fury  of  Louis  XIV;  he  had  himself  been 
reared  amid  scenes  which  had  led  him,  while  yet  a  lad,  to 
compose  a  poem,  "The  Massacre  of  Bartholomew"  ;  he 
was  married  to  a  descendant  of  a  Huguenot  family.  And 
one  might  naturally  expect  to  find  in  such  circumstances 
the  moving  cause  to  his  writing  a  Huguenot  history. 


48  MEMORIAL    SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

But  these  facts  were  the  little  streams  which  came 
together  as  he  prepared  the  history  of  the  town  in  which 
he  lived.  His  brother,  the  Rev.  Professor  Henry  M. 
Baird,  had  for  eight  or  nine  years  been  engaged  on  his 
"  Rise  of  the  Huguenots  of  France."  Patiently  and 
laboriously  examining  records  and  collecting  facts  for  his 
local  history,  Dr.  Charles  had  met  with  the  names  of 
many  of  Huguenot  descent,  whose  family  lines  he  had 
traced.  A  new  theme  was  thus  brought  into  the  inter- 
course of  the  brothers;  and  out  of  this  Dr.  Baird  was 
induced  to  take  up  the  study  of  "  The  Huguenot  Emi- 
gration to  America."  It  was  all  one  of  those  striking 
illustrations  of  the  way  in  which,  through  a  beautiful 
harmony  and  association,  He  who  rules  over  all  makes 
the  events  of  a  life  work  together  and  the  lines  of  differ- 
ent lives  converge,  so  that  His  way  is  made  known  among 
the  people.  "  God  is  in  history  "  —  in  the  recording  of  it 
as  well  as  in  the  making  of  it. 

It  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  unique  and  valu- 
able characteristics  of  this  work  of  Dr.  Baird,  that  it  con- 
nects the  families  and  even  the  individuals  of  whom  it  tells, 
with  the  places  whence  they  came.  Charmed  with  the 
vivid  interest  which  these  biographies  of  individual 
refugees  have  given  to  the  narrative,  we  who  read  can 
form  little  conception  of  the  amount  of  severe  and 
exhaustive  labor  they  entailed.  From  widely  scattered 
sources,  manuscript  as  well  as  printed  ;  from  documents, 
wills,  letters,  church  and  family  records ;  many  of  which 
were  reached  only  with  difficulty ;  many  of  which  had 
never  been  known  by  their  custodians  to  be  called  for  or 
examined  before  —  were  these  facts  gathered.  Not  only 
were  the  records  in  the  cities  of  our  own  country  dili- 
gently searched  ;  but,  as  England  was  the  halting-place  of 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  49 

SO  many  of  the  exiles,  before  they  set  out  to  the  New 
World,  Dr.  Baird  went  there,  and  spent  time  in  indefatiga- 
ble researches  in  the  Library  of  the  British  Museum,  in 
that  of  Lambeth  Palace,  in  the  British  State-Paper  Office 
under  care  of  the  Master  of  the  Rolls  ;  and,  by  cor- 
respondence, among  the  archives  in  the  capital  of  France. 
Such  labors,  extending  through  a  half-score  of  years,  have 
placed  under  deep  obligation  to  the  name  of  Charles 
W.  Baird,  all  in  this  country  who  can  boast  of  Hugue- 
not blood.  A  very  Thesaurus  of  family  lore,  there  is 
hardly  a  Huguenot  name  known  here,  of  whose  history, 
this  work  does  not  give  some  new  and  curious  fact.  But 
Dr.  Baird  did  something  more  than  write  a  book  of 
domestic  genealogy.  His  was  the  first  systematic  and 
detailed  history  of  an  emigration  which  brought  into  the 
growth  of  the  colonies  of  America,  an  element  of  sterling 
worth  quite  out  of  proportion  to  its  numbers,  and  which 
is  still  felt  for  good.  A  truly  patriotic  work,  therefore, 
this  enters  as  a  valuable  contribution  into  the  history  of 
our  country. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  '85  that  the  two  volumes 
appeared.  On  May  13th  of  the  same  year,  Dr.  Baird  was 
made  an  "  Honorary  Fellow  "  of  the  Huguenot  Society 
in  London.  Last  year  he  received  an  application  from 
the  Society  for  the  Publication  of  Religious  Books  in 
Toulouse  for  permission  to  translate  his  work  into  the 
French.  Yielding  all  rights  in  the  matter,  consent  was 
freely  extended.  Last  January,  about  one  month  before 
he  died,  there  came  from  the  publishing  house  in  France, 
two  copies  of  the  translated  work.  And  in  them  the 
honored  author  seemed  to  take  more  delight  than  he  had 
been  able  to  allow  himself  in  connection  with  the  original 
publication  here. 


50  MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES. 

Telling  the  story  of  the  Huguenot  settlement  in  New 
England  in  these  two  volumes,  it  was  our  brother's  pur- 
pose to  carry  his  survey  farther  south,  into  the  Middle 
and  Southern  States,  for  future  volumes.  But  this  was  not 
to  be.  The  standard-bearer  fainted.  The  pen  of  the  ready 
writer  ceased.  Yet  it  is  only  when  their  work  is  done  that 
God  calls  his  servants  to  their  eternal  reward.  This  labor- 
er s  life-zvork  was  completed.  And  it  is  a  blessing  for 
which  we  devoutly  thank  our  God  that  the  workman  was 
spared  and  enabled  to  finish  what  we  think  he  above  all 
others  was  fitted  to  accomplish.  Having  served  his 
generation  —  and  served  it  well  —  according  to  the  will  of 
God,  he  fell  asleep.  His  was  a  pure  and  useful  life  that 
has  won  the  praise  of  men  and  the  approbation  of  God. 
His  face  shone,  but  he  wist  it  not.  The  Lord  make  us  all 
more  like  him,  for  of  us  all  he  was  most  like  our  Lord  ! 

REMARKS   OF   REV.    R.    H.    P.    VAIL,  D.D. 

After  so  much  has  been  said,  and  so  well  said,  it  would 
be  superfluous  for  me  to  detain  you  long.  Dr.  Baird's 
memory  is  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  us  all.  We  shall 
carry  it  with  us  to  our  dying  day.  We  need  no  formal 
resolutions,  no  words  from  human  lips,  to  insure  his  name 
perpetual  place  in  our  hearts.  His  character  was  many- 
sided.  Indeed,  he  had  so  many  graces  that,  were  each  of 
his  characteristics  to  be  spoken  of,  how  many  of  us  would 
to-day  find  texts  for  discourse  ?  I  would  dwell  upon  a 
single  one  which  was  so  marked  that  we  all  were  im- 
proved by  it.  His  Christian  urbanity  was  so  winning. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  urbane  of  men.  At  once  a 
Christian  and  a  gentleman,  he  won  us  all.  Many  gentle- 
men    are   not   Christians,   and    many   Christians   are   so 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE  AND  ADDRESSES.  5 1 

undeveloped  that  they  are  not  always  gentlemen.  He 
was  always  a  Christian,  and  always  a  gentleman.  One 
could  not  be  in  his  presence  without  realizing  this.  Dr. 
Hodge,  meeting  him  in  a  foreign  country,  and  for  the 
first  time,  was  immediately  impressed  with  his  winning 
urbanity.  It  has  been  said  that  manners  make  the  man. 
Rather  should  it  be  said  that  manners  reveal  the  man. 
They  unbosom  the  spirit  within. 

Gracious  manners  are  exponents  of  the  inner  graces. 
Because  his  inner  spirit  was  so  gracious,  his  manners 
were  gracious.  He  was  like  Stephen,  in  that  he  had  the 
face  of  an  angel.  Not  that  the  light  from  without  smote 
his  face  ;  but  that  the  light  from  within,  with  its  charm- 
ing and  saintly  qualities,  became  revealed  in  an  angel's 
face.  He  was  always  so  pure,  so  gentle,  so  loving.  His 
goodness  shone  not  only  in  his  face,  but  round  about 
him,  in  his  walk  from  day  to  day.  We  speak  of  an  "angel 
in  the  house."  Dear  friends,  many  of  us  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  welcoming  this  angel  in  our  homes.  When 
Dr.  Baird  came  to  visit  us  we  felt  that  there  was  an  angel 
in  our  midst. 

Dr.  Guthrie  once  said  of  a  friend  who  was  remarkable 
for  his  saintly  qualities,  that  it  seemed  as  if  holiness 
was  written  on  the  walls,  and  on  the  chairs,  and  on  the 
table,  when  he  had  been  there.  And  so  it  was  with 
Dr.  Baird  when  he  walked  up  and  down  among  the 
homes  of  Rye,  leaving  a  benediction  on  each  as  he 
passed. 

Dear  friends,  with  what  affability  he  conducted  him- 
self !  Oh,  how  he  charmed  us  !  He  took  us  each  one  by 
the  hand,  with  a  graceful,  gentle,  kind  grasp.  Now  he 
has  gone  on  in  advance,  to  await  our  coming  into  that 
general  and  risen  assembly  of  saints. 


MEMORIAL   SERMON. 


On  Sunday  morning,  March  27,  1887,  the  Rev.  Dwight 
M.  Seward,  D.D.,  former  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Yonkers,  preached  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Rye,  taking  for  the  text  of  his  sermon  James  iv.  14  : 
"  For  what  is  your  life  ?  It  is  even  a  vapor  that  appeareth 
for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth  away."  He  con- 
cluded with  a  beautiful  tribute  to  Dr.  Baird,  which  is 
here  given  entire.     He  said  : 

The  life  that  was  lived  among  you  and  has  just  closed, 
the  life  that  gave  its  strength  and  energy  and  all  its  rich 
resources  to  your  best  welfare  ;  that  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  filled  your  temple-halls  with  the  messages  of  the 
cross ;  this  life,  by  its  godliness,  its  fruitfulness,  its  har- 
mony, gave  the  true  answer  to  the  question  that  we  have 
studied  this  morning,  "  What  is  your  life  ?  " 

The  lessons  of  this  life  !  They  have  appealed  to  you 
in  these  last  weeks  more  vividly  than  before  the  life 
ended  ;  you  have  sadly  yet  thankfully  looked  again  and 
again  upon  them,  and  pondered  them  with  a  deepening 
sense  of  great  and  irreparable  loss. 

These  lessons  were  so  fully  set  before  you  in  the  stern 
and  solemn  hours  of  the  funeral  service,  that  I  have 
abstained  from  devoting  the  entire  message  of  the  morn- 
ing, as  my  heart  moved  me  to  do,  to  memorial   utter- 

52 


MEMORIAL    SERMON.  53 

ances.  Yet  I  cannot  close  this  service  without  giving 
expression  to  some  thoughts  concerning  this  just-closed 
pastorate,  and  this  just-ended  life,  that  would  not  be 
likely  to  find  their  way  into  other  commemorative  ser- 
vices. I  trust  that  I  may  be  permitted  to  speak  with  the 
familiarity  and  freedom  of  a  long  friendship.  Dr.  Baird 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  celebration  of  our  Silver-Wed- 
ding service  at  Yonkers  in  1861,  and  read  a  poem  of 
exceeding  fitness  and  beauty,  which  he  had  written  for 
the  anniversary. 

By  the  special  request  of  my  children,  he  presided  at 
our  Golden-Wedding  commemoration  a  year  ago,  and 
wrote  for  it  an  appropriate  hymn,  and  conducted  a  most 
impressive  service  of  responses,  which  he  had  prepared 
for  the  occasion. 

I  was  about  asking  him  if  he  would  kindly  perform  the 
final  service  at  our  departure,  for  I  had  not  even  thought 
that  the  summons  to  the  other  world  could  come  first  to 
him. 

It  is  only  a  little  more  than  a  year  since  I  was  called  to 
address  you  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  stead  of  your  pastor, 
who  was  suddenly  disabled  for  his  accustomed  service  ; 
—  disabled,  it  seems  to  me,  by  an  attack  that  was  the 
herald  of  the  severer  blow,  that  brought  his  work  to  an 
abrupt  close,  and  sternly  summoned  him  away  from  us. 
He  said  to  me  then  with  entire  calmness  that  his  sickness, 
he  was  thoroughly  aware,  was  not  without  the  peril  of  a 
fatal  issue.  I  plainly  perceived  that  death  could  not  sur- 
prise or  terrify  him,  come  when  and  how  it  might. 

I  was  present  at  his  installation  more  than  twenty-five 
years  ago,  and  I  must  be  pardoned  for  an  allusion  that 
illustrates  the  lenient  generosity  of  your  pastor's  judg- 
ments. I  came  as  a  friend,  for  I  was  not  a  member  of  the 


54  MEMORIAL   SERMON. 

ecclesiastical  body  that  installed  him.  But  the  member 
of  Presbytery  to  whom  was  assigned  the  giving  of  the 
charge  to  the  people,  was  unable  to  be  present.  So  at 
your  pastor's  suggestion  I  was  pressed  into  the  service, 
and  most  imperfectly  prepared  the  charge  while  the  ser- 
vices that  preceded  it  were  going  on,  and  delivered  it  in 
its  turn. 

I  can  remember  as  though  it  were  yesterday,  how 
delicately  your  pastor  relieved  my  sense  of  shame  for  the 
imperfection  of  my  effort,  and  how  kindly  and  charitably 
he  spoke  of  my  crude  and  hasty  service. 

Dr.  Baird  was  a  member  of  my  congregation  for  a 
decade  of  years.  I  should  hardly  be  speaking  figuratively, 
if  I  were  to  say  that  he  was  my  colleague.  In  every  pos- 
sible way  he  was  my  helper.  When  I  was  overtaxed  with 
duties,  he  would  take  a  portion  of  them  for  my  relief. 
As  he  was  universally  beloved  and  respected  by  my 
people,  his  co-operation  was  most  serviceable  and  wel- 
come. 

He  aided  me  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it.  He  was  highly 
active  and  efificient  in  a  powerful  revival  of  religion  that 
prevailed  while  he  was  with  us,  and  was  clearly  instru- 
mental in  winning  souls  to  Christ,  and  in  building  them 
up  in  the  true  faith.  I  cannot  doubt  that  he  was  then 
in  unconscious  training  for  his  long  term  of  effective  and 
successful  service  in  his  pastorate  with  you. 

Dr.  Baird  had  an  hereditary  right  to  the  finest  qualities 
of  character.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Baird,  had 
a  world-wide  reputation  for  the  breadth  and  correctness 
of  his  knowledge  of  men  and  of  events  ;  of  the  manifold 
signs  of  the  times,  and  the  fields  of  labor  to  which  they 
pointed.  His  friends  among  the  clergy  and  laity  of  Eng- 
land and  Scotland  often  assured  him  that  he  was  more 


MEMORIAL   SERMON.  55 

thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  state  of  morals  and 
religion  on  the  Continent  than  themselves.  Some  of  you 
know  with  what  eminent  talent  for  the  knowledge  and 
teaching  of  history  he  was  endowed.  His  memory  was 
highly  exceptional  for  the  infinite  number  of  facts  and 
events  which  it  easily  held,  and  for  its  unimpeachable 
accuracy  of  dates.  Your  pastor  inherited  that  historic 
gift,  that  marvellous  power  of  accumulation  and  retention 
and  arrangement.  His  literary  labors  began  in  his  very 
boyhood,  and  he  was  an  unceasing,  indefatigable  student, 
to  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  mother  of  your  pastor! — Well,  if  the  wise  man 
who  wrote  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  had  met  with  such  an 
one  as  she  was,  he  would  not  have  made  that  record, 
"  A  woman  among  them  all  have  I  not  found  !  "  I  used 
to  think  that  her  character  had  every  one  of  the  sterling 
virtues  and  the  Christian  graces  in  it.  It  was  her  refined 
soul,  her  warm  heart,  her  deep  sympathies,  her  unselfish 
spirit,  her  fine  taste,  with  her  intelligence  and  ripe  culture 
that  shaped  and  moulded  her  simple,  genial,  elegant,  fas- 
cinating manners.  You  will  allow  me  to  make  this  allu- 
sion, for  I  believe  that  it  was  largely  from  that  saintly  and 
now  sainted  mother  that  your  pastor  derived  that 
exquisite  delicacy,  that  indescribable  grace,  that  ever 
present  refinement,  that  magnetic  sympathy,  which  im- 
parted such  a  peculiar  charm  to  his  personal  intercourse, 
and  inspired  in  all  who  knew  him  both  affection  and 
admiration.  I  suppose  that  you  know  how  deeply  he 
loved  you  —  his  holy  flock.  He  regarded  you  as  a  most 
true  and  loyal  people.  I  suppose  that  you  know  better 
than  I  do  what  a  genuine  affection  he  felt  for  these  chil- 
dren and  youth,  and  what  a  guardian  interest  he  cherished 
for  the  Seminary  represented  in  this  sanctuary,  and  how 


56  MEMORIAL   SERMON. 

he  looked  upon  it  as  the  crown  and  ornament  of  your 
delightful  village.  In  a  letter  received  from  him  not  long 
ago,  he  observed  incidentally  that  his  home  here  would 
not  be  what  it  was,  without  the  presence  and  influence  of 
this  Institution. 

I  am  not  here  to-day  to  draw  the  portrait  of  your  pastor's 
character,  nor  to  name  the  chief  labors  of  his  life.  That 
genial  duty  is  fittingly  assigned  to  his  literary  associates 
and  to  his  co-presbyters.  Nor  will  I  trust  myself  to  dwell 
upon  the  greatness  of  your  loss.  If  we  could  commune 
with  him,  he  would  not  consent  to  have  me  draw  a  dis- 
heartening picture  of  your  sore  bereavement.  Let  me 
speak  rather  of  the  benediction  which  this  ministry  has 
left  you.  For  it  seems  to  me  that  the  length,  and 
the  harmony,  and  the  success  of  this  pastorate  are  pro- 
phetic, and  should  make  you  not  only  grateful  for  the 
past,  but  hopeful  for  the  future. 

It  may  seem  a  small  thing  to  allude  to,  but  upon  the 
sad  and  memorable  day  of  the  funeral  services,  I  was 
confident  that  you  would  bless  Him  who  giveth  and  who 
taketh  away,  for  the  lifelike  naturalness  of  your  lamented 
pastor  in  his  burial-raiment.  Sickness  had  not  enstamped 
its  scars,  and  death  had  not  graven  the  marks  of  its 
scourge. 

The  placid  brow,  the  speaking  lips,  the  radiant  face, 
the  angelic  expression,  suggested  the  profound,  the  sweet 
and  blissful  rest  which  remaineth  to  all  such  as  he  was, 
and  to  which  his  liberated  soul  had  fled.  I  was  reminded 
of  the  words  of  the  hero  of  one  of  Shakespeare's  tragedies 
over  the  sleeping,  and,  as  he  believed,  the  dead  body  of 
the  heroine. 

"  Death  that  hath  sucked  the  honey  of  thy  breath, 
Hath  had  no  power  yet  upon  thy  beauty  ; 


MEMORIAL   SERMON.  57 

Thou  art  not  conquered  ;  beauty's  ensign  yet 
Is  crimson  on  thy  lips  and  in  thy  cheeks, 
And  death's  pale  flag  is  not  advanced  there." 

Your  pastor  is  summoned  away  from  you,  but  he  will 
be  with  you  still.  You  will  be  conscious  of  his  power  and 
influence  through  all  your  mortal  lives.  You  remember 
the  story  of  the  Moabites  casting  a  dead  man  hastily  into 
the  sepulchre  of  Elisha,  and  how  when  he  was  let  down 
and  touched  the  bones  of  the  prophet,  he  sprang  back  to 
life  and  revived  and  stood  upon  his  feet. 

That  incident  suggests  the  power  of  a  godly  man,  and 
a  gifted  man,  after  his  departure.  You  will  tell  your  chil- 
dren, and  they  will  tell  their  children,  of  the  rare  worth,  of 
the  ripe  attainments,  of  the  beautiful  and  Christ-like 
character,  of  the  active  and  laborious  life  of  this  honored 
servant  of  God. 

Dull  lethargic  souls  will  be  quickened  into  interest  and 
enthusiasm  as  they  come  into  contact  with  the  tokens  of 
his  undying  power.  Timid  and  fainting  souls  will  be 
rallied  into  courage  and  action  as  they  learn  how  calmly 
and  bravely  he  labored  on,  year  after  year  when  death 
was  standing  visibly  at  the  door. 

There  is  much  more  to  perpetuate  the  memory  and 
influence  of  your  pastor  than  can  be  found  with  the  large 
majority  of  deceased  pastors.  It  may  not  be  too  much 
to  say  that  they  leave  commonly  a  fair  record  of  fidelity. 
But  that  is  nearly  all  that  keeps  vital  their  influence. 
True,  they  leave  large  masses  of  sermons  that  cost  search 
and  struggles  and  tears,  and  that  have  done  their  ap- 
pointed work.  But  these  rarely  see  the  light  after  their 
single  office  is  fulfilled.  They  silently  await  the  day  of 
cremation.  But  of  your  honored  pastor,  it  may  truly  be 
testified  that  his  works  do  follow  him.     The  well-wrought 


58  MEMORIAL   SERMON. 

monuments  of  his  indefatigable  industry,  of  his  pains- 
taking and  scholarly  research,  remain  and  will  be  per- 
petuating his  power  on  and  on  through  many  coming 
years.  They  place  him  in  the  front  rank  of  historical 
Christian  writers.  He  will  be  one  of  the  sceptred  monarchs 
who  rule  men  from  their  urns. 

And  these  monuments  belong  to  you.  Some  of  them 
are  the  records  of  your  own  local  history.  They  are  a 
part  of  the  heritage  which  your  pastor  left  to  you  and  for 
you.  I  confess  there  is  a  deep,  dark  mystery  in  this 
arrest  of  a  beneficent  life  ;  in  this  sudden  calling  off  from 
labors  which  few  are  qualified  to  perform.  I  cannot  see 
through  the  cloud.  I  cannot  fathom  the  depths.  It 
looks,  if  we  may  use  the  lament  of  Hezekiah,  as  though 
your  pastor  were  deprived  of  the  residue  of  his  years. 
Rich  material  accumulated  for  future  uses  !  New  mental 
structures  begun  and  going  on  to  rich  completion  !  Gos- 
pel-messages ripening,  maturing  for  you  in  that  teeming 
brain,  in  that  loving  heart !  But  I  am  sure  there  is  no 
mystery  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  which  he  has  just 
crossed.  To  us  this  summons  of  death  looks  like  a  fear- 
ful interruption  of  important  labors.  In  truth,  as  God 
sees  it,  as  the  angels  see  it,  as  your  pastor  sees  it  7iow, 
there  is  no  interruption  at  all. 

I  remember  to  have  seen  advertised,  for  performance, 
an  unfinished  symphony  of  Beethoven.  Yet  who  would 
need  to  be  sad  over  the  lacking  part,  if  he  might  hear  in 
another  spot,  in  a  brighter  world,  a  richer  and  completed 
symphony  with  grander  harmonies,  with  finer  instruments, 
with  a  larger  and  more  skilful  orchestra,  with  Bethlehem- 
angels  bearing  part ! 

Who  doubts  that  your  pastor's  life  goes  on  ?  Who 
believes  that  God  creates  such  a  man,  builds  him  up  so 


MEMORIAL   SERMON.  59 

royally,  girds  him  with  such  might,  enriches  him  with  such 
knowledge,  honors  him  with  such  revelations,  ripens  him 
with  such  a  noble  manhood,  and  then  dooms  soul  and 
body  to  the  same  fate  of  extinction  ?  Our  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living.  Christ  is  the  con- 
queror of  death,  and  because  Christ  lives,  your  pastor 
lives  also.  He  is  doing  work  diviner  even  than  that 
which  he  left  so  suddenly,  and  from  which  it  seemed  to  us 
that  he  could  not  be  spared. 

We  all  believe  this  about  his  uninterrupted  life.  Our 
great  want  in  these  hours  of  fresh  grief  is  interise  realiza- 
tion. God  grant  to  us  who  loved  him  deeply,  and  sorely 
miss  him,  a  faith  so  strong  and  revelations  so  clear  that 
he  shall  still  be  living  and  speaking  to  us  !  God  bestow 
upon  us  not  a  mere  transient  mood  of  confidence,  not  a 
mere  passing  vision  of  glory  that  like  a  lightning-flash 
leaves  behind  a  deeper  darkness,  but  a  deep,  unfaltering 
conviction  that  already  he  is  one  in  the  cloud  of  witnesses 
that  compass  us  about  !  Then  the  cheering  thought  of 
Miss  Havergal  will  be  practical  and  uplifting  in  our 
sorrow  — 

"  For  I  know 
That  they  who  are  not  lost,  but  gone  before, 
Are  only  waiting  till  I  come,  for  death 
Has  only  parted  us  a  little  while, 
And  has  not  severed  e'en  the  finest  strand 
In  the  eternal  cable  of  our  love  ; 
The  very  strain  has  tuned  it  closer  still 
And  added  strength  ;  the  music  of  their  lives 
Is  nowise  stilled,  but  blended  so  with  songs 
Around  the  throne  of  God,  that  our  poor  ears 
No  longer  hear  it." 

I  hardly  dare  to  speak  of  the  happy  home  upon  which 
the  blow  of  this  bereavement  has  fallen  most  heavily  ; 


6o  MEMORIAL   SERMOM. 

where  the  sudden  going  away  of  your  honored  pastor  is 
most  keenly  felt.  Yet,  I  may  say  this  to  the  beloved 
wife  and  children  —  that  the  greatness  of  their  loss  is  the 
measure  of  the  greatness  of  God's  gift  to  them  ;  and  this 
—  that  the  memories  of  the  husband  and  the  father  will 
grow  more  fragrant  and  precious,  as  the  weeks  and  the 
months  of  loneliness  come  and  go.  I  am  confident  that 
all  of  you  will  wish  me  to  assure  them  that  wherever  the 
lines  may  fall  to  them,  they  have  heart-felt  remembrance 
in  the  closets  and  at  the  family-altars  of  his  devoted  flock. 
And  I  am  persuaded  that  Christ  is  willing  to  have  me 
take  his  own  words  and  make  them  the  message  of  his 
faithful  ambassador  to  this  smitten  household.  "  A  little 
while  and  ye  shall  not  see  me,  and  again  a  little  while  and 
ye  shall  see  me,  because  I  go  to  the  Father." 


TRIBUTES. 


Under  the  heading  "  Charles  Washington  Baird  — 
Model  Man  and  Minister,"  the  Rev.  Rollin  A.  Sawyer, 
D.D.,  wrote  in  the  New  York  Evangelist  of  April  14, 
1887: 

We  are  apt  to  remember  men  in  some  words  spoken  by  them  or  of  them. 
The  tenderest  memorials  are  not  infrequently  a  sentence  short  as  an  epitaph, 
or  an  expression  brief  as  an  epigram.  We  usually  recall  them  in  picture  as 
they  looked  on  some  special  occasion.  Our  thoughts  speak  the  portraiture 
in  a  few  words  that  convey  its  full  significance. 

It  is  in  this  way  that  we  write  beneath  the  name  of  our  brother  beloved 
the  words  given  above.  He  was  just  that  —  grandly  and  always  that :  man 
and  minister  met  in  him,  and  both  were  models.  No  one  ever  saw  him  in 
any  other  character.  We  knew  him  personally  for  more  than  thirty  years  ; 
saw  him  often  ;  sometimes  stood  opposed  to  him  ;  worked  with  him,  and 
voted  occasionally  against  him  ;  loved  and  admired  him  always  ;  and  never 
saw  in  him  any  thing  unbecoming  the  man  or  the  minister.  In  all  this  time 
it  is  impossible  to  recall  a  word,  a  gesture,  or  even  a  look,  that  was  not  in 
perfect  accord  with  his  character  as  a  model  of  manhood  and  of  ministerial 
demeanor.  This  is  very  high  praise,  but  it  is  honest,  and  it  is  truth.  Some- 
how we  expected  it  of  him  while  he  was  with  us,  and  it  only  surprises  us  as  we 
write  it  out,  now  that  he  is  gone,  that  we  did  not  more  fully  realize  the  rare 
eminence  which  this  modest  man  was  holding  so  easily  among  us,  yet  so 
naturally  that  not  until  now  did  we  ask  how  it  was  done. 

The  explanation,  like  that  of  many  things,  is  only  another  form  of  asser- 
tion. The  rare  quality  of  a  man  is  the  secret  of  his  life.  We  discover  it, 
but  we  do  not  define  ;  we  enjoy,  yet  do  not  explain.  The  most  we  can  do 
is  to  recount  the  varied  manifestation  of  this  subtle  spirit  of  rare  manhood, 
turning  it  round  in  the  light  of  loving  memory  to  make  its  diamond-like 
facets  shine. 

61 


62  TRIBUTES. 

This,  too,  is  best  for  us,  for  men  pass  away  in  the  hurry  of  a  fleet  life,  all 
too  soon  fading  out  of  touch  and  impression  among  their  busy  fellows,  who 
loved  and  learned  of  them  but  a  little  while  ago.  To  memories  overburdened, 
the  claim  that  is  responded  to  readily  must  be  the  best  of  the  very  best  men. 
Of  these  we  wisely  think  the  oftener,  suffering,  as  is  needful,  all  the  rest  to 
fade — faults,  into  oblivion  ;  virtues,  into  a  broad  track  of  light  like  the  wake 
of  a  ship  under  sun  or  moon. 

The  fact  that  lifts  Dr.  Baird  into  prominence  in  the  memory  of  a  wide 
circle,  has  been  already  stated  in  the  word  viodel.  He  was  not  the  greatest 
man  in  any  other  way  than  in  this  :  that  he  was  simply  and  consistently 
ideal.  He  lived  in  the  country  parsonage  of  a  quiet  parish,  much  at  home, 
mainly  busy  for  his  own  people  ;  yet  he  left  a  loss  behind  his  bier  that  was 
felt  in  the  city  and  to  the  limits  of  the  Presbytery  in  every  denomination. 
This  is  his  memorial  to-day  :  "  Everybody  misses  Dr.  Baird."  The  man  is 
missed  ;  the  minister  is  mourned.  The  secret  of  it  is,  the  man  was  com- 
plete. This  is  rarer  than  to  be  distinguished  for  great  excellence  in  certain 
things.  The  complete  man  is  so  nearly  faultless  that  we  write  him  perfect. 
So  we  write  of  our  brother.  Somehow  we  feel  in  our  bereavement  so  poor 
that  we  hardly  expect  to  look  upon  his  like  in  this  world.  There  will  be  a 
place  among  us  vacant  for  the  rest  of  our  lives.  It  is  too  much  to  hope  that 
one  so  very  nearly  perfect,  in  a  certain  modest,  lovable  way  peculiarly  his 
own,  will  come  to  us  without  time.  His  friends  have  the  right  to  regard  him 
as  a  special  gift,  a  peculiar  treasure.  There  is  no  disparagement  of  any 
great  or  good  man  in  this  eulogy  of  one  whom  God  gave  to  us  in  the  same 
sovereign  way  in  which  He  took  him — all  too  soon  for  us,  none  too  soon  for 
him  who  was  always  ready  —  to  the  glory  that  sometimes  seemed  to  smite 
him  even  while  he  waited  for  the  final  disclosure  that  came  with  death.  His 
rare  graces  of  manner  and  of  character  were  the  points  where  divine  grace 
became  manifest.  His  spirit  was  surely  and  always  "  the  candle  of  the 
Lord."  It  is  a  reverent  act,  therefore,  to  love  him  and  cherish  his  worth. 
There  are  men  whom  it  is  piety  to  remember  well.  The  adulation  of  some 
is  a  hero-worship  that  is  both  senseless  and  utterly  selfish.  Great  men  have 
parasites  who  wriggle  along  in  their  wake  while  they  live,  and  weave  them- 
selves in  conspicuous  mourning  after  they  are  dead.  It  is  therefore  a  com- 
fort to  love  and  to  lament  a  man  who  hid  himself  in  Christ  so  that  his  friend- 
ship meant  discipleship.     Mourning  for  him  is  a  longing  to  be  with  Jesus. 

We  might  sum  up  the  character  of  Dr.  Baird  in  one  word  which  names  its 
controlling  sentiment,  Loyalty.  He  was  unfailingly  loyal  to  every  duty  and 
relation.  He  bore  himself  always  in  loyal  observance  of  every  thing  that 
was  expected  of  him  or  of  his  profession.  There  was  a  fine  flavor  of  chivalry 
in  his  appearance.       You  thought  of  the  chivalric  Bayard,  whose  poses  sug- 


TRIBUTES.  63 

gested  valor  alert  and  ready.  One  never  saw  Dr.  Baird  when  he  seemed  to 
be  in  undress  or  off  guard.  We  recall  this  impression  as  made  distinctly  on 
the  mind  of  a  young  minister  into  whose  congregation  he  first  came  as  a 
stranger,  but  afterward  as  a  helper  at  need.  That  fine  face,  cultured  in  its 
youthful  expression  and  repose  ;  that  manly,  modest  bearing,  was  token  to 
any  eye  of  loyalty  to  purpose  and  to  calling.  That  impression  has  only  grown 
with  years  and  intimacies.  It  M^as  so  lasting  because  the  man  was  genuine. 
We  know  how  a  clerical  coat  rather  shows  a  shallow  man  to  disadvantage. 
We  have  seen  soldiers  whose  glory  was  all  in  their  gilded  emblems — garnished 
weakness.  But  when  we  find  a  man  who  glorifies  his  uniform,  we  give  him 
honor.  We  remember  young  men  who  dreaded  the  regulation  dress  of 
clergymen  through  an  honest  fear  that  they  could  not  fill  it.  Young  or  old, 
Baird  always  filled  it.  It  fitted  him  as  a  man  ;  he  honored  it  as  a  minister. 
It  was  the  loyalty  of  one  of  the  old  guard.  He  was  proixd  of  the  company, 
and  of  the  cause.  It  was  not  self  he  considered,  but  when  self  is  consecrated, 
it  is  to  be  held  sacred  for  that  which  it  represents.  A  man  is  to  be  trusted 
who  thinks  dishonor  to  himself  is  injury  to  his  flag.  That  calm  courage  to 
assume  responsibility,  in  certainty  that  no  trust  should  ever  be  betrayed,  was 
in  the  face  we  saw  years  ago  ;  it  lingered,  a  sunset  glow  on  the  brow  as  we 
wept  upon  his  bier.  No  man  was  more  esteemed  for  his  charity  ;  few,  per- 
haps, so  thoroughly  trusted  by  men  of  other  ecclesiastical  connections,  yet 
Dr.  Baird  was  marked  for  his  loyalty  to  Presbyterianism,  If  he  never  for- 
got that  he  was  a  minister,  he  equally  remembered  that  he  was  a  Presbyterian 
minister.  If  he  ever  seemed  to  take  an  adverse  decision  of  his  Presbytery 
to  heart,  it  was  found  that  not  his  self-love,  but  his  loyalty  to  his  church  had 
been  touched.  How  hard  it  was  to  oppose  him  !  How  readily  young  men 
came  to  think  he  might  be  right,  when  to  them  he  seemed  most  wrong  in 
judgment.  And  in  the  main  he  was  right.  In  all  these  years  how  rarely  has 
it  happened  that  his  loyal  love  for  the  church  has  not  carried  weight,  and  won 
the  case  in  face  of  eloquence  and  urgent  iitipulse.  When  it  was  over,  the 
quiet  words  which  had  almost  been  lost  in  debate,  were  applauded  by  the 
second  thought.  This  loyal  man  was  a  good  advocate  of  a  good  cause  ;  he 
was  an  impartial  judge  in  all.  Perhaps  the  rather  exceptional  harmony  of 
his  Presbytery  owed  more  to  him  than  we  knew.  Yes,  that  strong  bond  of 
personal  affection  which  has  united  us,  always  spoke  with  his  voice  and 
looked  from  his  eye.  It  was  never  showy  and  demonstrative,  but  always  a 
warm  sunshine  of  cordial  good-will  and  considerate  treatment  around  this 
loyal,  loving  brother.  His  smile  was  the  glow  of  the  fireside,  his  heart  a  safe 
refuge  for  any,  a  sacred  retreat  for  all.     .     .     . 

But  whoever  stood  near  enough  to  him,  saw  in  his  outlook  upon  life  and 
eternity  a  radiance  that  shone  on  his  work — "  a  light  that  never  was  on  sea  or 


64  TRIBUTES. 

land."  These  are  the  prophecies  of  the  perfect  yet  to  be  possessed.  They 
came  to  him  — gleams  of  unearthly  beauty,  strains  of  song,  unspoken  poems, 
—  all  in  that  wonderful  temple  of  his  inner  life  which  to-day  is  heaven. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  C.  S.  Vedder,  pastor  of  the  Huguenot 
church,  Charleston,  S.    C,  wrote  of   Dr.    Baird  in  the 

Charleston  News  and  Courier  : 

Holy  writ  describes  the  dismay  of  a  people  :  ' '  They  shall  be  as  when  a 
standard-bearer  fainteth."  One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  historic  towns  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York  City  has  learned,  by  pathetic  experience,  the  mean- 
ing of  these  words.  A  standard-bearer  has  fainted  and  fallen  among  them, 
not  in  the  shock,  but  with  all  the  suddenness  of  the  battle-field. 

Dr.  Charles  W.  Baird,  the  man  of  ideal  purity,  gentleness  and  sweetness 
of  spirit,  cherished  by  those  who  knew  him  with  a  love  almost  "  passing  the 
love  of  women,"  honored,  trusted,  and  revered  as  few  men  ever  have  the 
happiness  to  be,  by  all  of  every  class  and  creed  among  whom  his  guileless 
life  was  lived  —  the  pastor,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  one  loving  and  be- 
loved flock,  but  so  large  in  his  sympathies  and  unstinted  in  his  helpfulness 
that  those  of  every  other  flock  called  and  knew  him  as  friend  and  brother — 
Dr.  Charles  W.  Baird  has  ceased  from  among  men,  and  the  hush  which  has 
fallen  upon  the  places  and  hearts  that  shall  know  him  here  no  more  is  like 
that  of  the  army  when  its  standard-bearer  falleth. 

The  public  journals  of  the  great  county  of  Westchester,  New  York,  come 
to  us  in  mourning  for  the  loss  of  this  greatly  good  man.  They  tell  us  that 
all  business  ceased,  and  men  wandered  aimlessly  about  the  pleasant  town  of 
Rye,  as  though  they  had  no  heart  for  any  thing  but  the  thought  of  their 
bereavement,  on  the  day  that  the  good  pastor  was  laid  to  his  rest  ;  that  the 
magnificent  church  edifice  in  which  he  had  ministered  —  having  all  the  pro- 
portions and  majesty  of  a  cathedral,  and  yet  with  every  pew  free  to  all,  and 
largely  occupied  by  the  poor  —  could  not  contain  the  immense  throngs  that 
came  to  the  burial  ;  that  ministers  of  every  denomination  were  present  to 
bear  testimony  to  the  sense  of  personal  and  professional  bereavement, 
and  that  the  tribute  of  tender  words  and  tears  was  such  as  to  make  the  occa- 
sion memorable  forever  to  those  who  were  present. 

There  is  something  in  such  an  outpouring  of  feeling  for  the  loss  of  one  man 
in  one  community  which  may  well  concern  every  other  man  of  every  other 
community.  It  is  such  a  recognition  of  the  glory  of  one  good  life  as  will  be 
helpful  to  make  other  lives  good.  But  Charleston  has  other  reason  than  this 
for  taking  to  heart  the  loss  of  the  gentle  pastor  of  Rye.  Dr.  Baird  had  con- 
secrated his  life  to  research  in  matters  of  peculiar  interest  to  our  city.  He 
was  known,  from  correspondence,  to  a  large  number  of  our  citizens  ;  others 


TRIBUTES.  65 

had  been  guests  at  the  pleasant  home  of  Dr.  Baird.  During  this  winter,  he 
had  proposed  and  promised  to  spend  some  time  in  Charleston,  in  verifying 
dates  and  securing  new  facts  for  his  remaining  volumes  of  "  The  Huguenot 
Emigration  to  America."  Immediately  after  our  calamity  of  the  earthquake, 
and  before  appeal  had  been  made,  Dr.  Baird  had  a  collection,  of  large 
amount,  raised  in  his  church  for  a  church  of  Charleston, 

For  our  ancient  and  dear  city  he  had  great  interest,  and  even  enthusiasm, 
and  looked  forward  with  fond  anticipation  to  the  time  when  he  should  visit 
its  eventful  scenes.  A  characteristic  Charleston  welcome  awaited  him.  But 
it  was  not  to  be.  Preparing  a  discourse  for  the  Sabbath  service  on  the 
Saturday  preceding,  February  5th,  beseemed  to  have  intimation  that  his  rest 
was  near.  To  his  wife,  who  entered  his  study  at  that  time,  and  who,  noti- 
cing something  wrong,  asked  as  to  his  health,  he  complained  of  an  affection  of 
the  head,  and  then  added  immediately,  "But  you  know  I  am  ready." 
With  these  words  he  laid  down  his  pen  and  never  spoke  or  knew  aught 
again.  On  Thursday  following,  the  end  came.  Charleston,  denied  the 
privilege  of  greeting  him  in  its  homes  in  life,  asks  to  lay  the  simple  tribute 
of  her  respect  and  heart-felt  regret  upon  his  tomb.  It  is  over  such  a  grave  as 
his,  in  its  relation  to  those  who  weep  above  it,  that  the  words  have  meaning  : 
"  Then  for  the  living  be  the  tear, 
And  for  the  dead,  the  smile.  " 

The  following  Tribute  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  Charles  E. 
Allison  appear  in  the  Yonkers  Statesman,  of  Feb.  ii, 
1887: 

The  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  lies  dead  at  Rye.  He  was  a  filial  son, 
an  affectionate  brother,  a  devoted  husband,  a  noble  father,  a  pastor  beloved, 
an  earnest  preacher  of  the  everlasting  gospel,  a  ripe  scholar,  a  Christian 
gentlemen.  Among  his  brother  ministers  he  was  as  "  the  beloved  disciple  " 
among  the  apostles.  He  was  an  ensample  to  his  flock.  "  When  the  ear 
heard  him,  then  it  blessed  him,  and  when  the  eye  saw  him,  it  gave  witness 
to  him,  because  he  delivered  the  poor  that  cried  and  the  fatherless  and  him 
that  had  none  to  help  him.  The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish 
came  upon  him  and  he  caused  the  .widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy.  He  put  on 
righteousness  and  it  clothed  him  ;  his  judgment  was  as  a  robe  and  a  diadem. 
He  was  eyes  to  the  blind  and  feet  was  he  to  the  lame.  He  was  a  father  to 
the  poor  and  the  cause  which  he  knew  not  he  searched  out." 

His  people  walk  about  the  streets  of  Rye  and  sit  in  their  homes  as  if 
there  were  one  dead  in  every  house.  The  aged  bow  down  and  weep,  and 
little  children  stop  in  the  midst  of  their  play.      Those  who  knew  him  best 


66  TRIBUTES. 

speak  in  subdued  tones  of  his  gentleness,  his  heavenly  mind,  his  loving 
heart,  his  affection  for  all,  and  how  by  his  lips  and  his  life  he  helped  them  to 
know  the  Christ  whose  he  was  and  whom  he  served. 

J.  M.  Ives,  Esq.,  wrote  in  the  Portchester  Journal,  under 
the  heading  "  The  Record  of  a  Good  Man's  Life"  : 

The  truthful  and  eloquent  eulogies  pronounced  at  the  funeral  service  of 
the  late  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  covered  perhaps  all  that  need  be 
said  in  regard  to  his  life  and  character.  It  may  not,  however,  be  amiss, 
that  to  these  should  be  added  an  humble  tribute  from  a  pen  which  he  often 
and  kindly  commended,  and  from  a  heart  which,  in  many  of  its  tastes,  emo- 
tions, and  sympathies,  was  responsive  to  his  own. 

Amid  the  noise  and  bustle,  the  excitements  and  contentions  of  this  busy 
world,  we  occasionally  meet  with  men  who,  without  asserting  for  them- 
selves any  superiority,  or  striving  to  be  conspicuous,  occupy  a  wider  sphere 
of  usefulness,  and  exert  a  more  commanding  influence  than  the  most  ambi- 
tious and  forward  can  ever  attain  ;  and  Dr.  Baird  was  one  of  these.  Obser- 
vant, thoughtful,  and  sympathetic,  intensely  interested  in  the  welfare  and 
well-being  of  his  fellow-men,  refined  in  manner,  and  gentle  in  speech,  he 
possessed  a  quiet  force  that  was  recognized  and  respected  in  all  the  interests 
with  which  he  was  associated,  as  well  as  in  the  community  of  which  he  was 
a  citizen.  He  was  indeed  a  man  of  remarkable  culture  and  courtesy,  con- 
scientious in  duty,  firm  in  principle,  tender  in  emotion,  delicate  in  percep- 
tion, of  a  nature  most  harmoniously  and  admirably  balanced  and  made  up 
of  rare  and  attractive  qualities. 

In  his  office  as  a  Christian  minister,  he  was  a  man  of  earnest  piety,  who 
preached  the  gospel  by  example  as  well  as  by  precept.  His  concern  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  others  was  always  manifest,  though  never  intrusive  ; 
there  was  an  atmosphere  of  purity  about  him  that  was  a  charm  to  the  good, 
and  a  rebuke  to  the  vicious.  His  concern  for  the  religious  and  moral  train- 
ing of  the  young  was  as  constant  as  his  endeavor  to  establish  them  on  the 
strong  foundations  of  religious  truth  and  to  shape  their  minds  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  highest  attainments.  In  his  preaching,  his  pastoral  admonition, 
and  his  frequent  addresses  to  the  graduates  of  the  schools,  he  uniformly  in- 
culcated the  duty  of  making  a  thorough  practical  Christianity  the  life-gov- 
erning principle.  In  his  churchmanship  he  was  broad  and  catholic,  and 
while  properly  conforming  to  the  discipline  and  practice  of  his  own,  he 
often  worshipped  and  communed  with  feUow-Christians  of  other  denomi- 
nations and  ministered  at  their  altars  ;  and  in  like  manner  his  parish  work 
was  not  restricted  within  the  boundaries  of  his  own  congregation  ;  the 
whole  community  recognized  in  him  a  man  so  helpful  and  consoling  in  ad- 


TRIBUTES.  6y 

versity  and  affliction,  that  many  weary  and  heavy  laden  sought  his  counsel 
and  sympathy,  and  were  cheered  by  his  words  of  comfort  and  hope.  While 
thus  continually  devoting  much  time  and  attention  to  others,  he  was  obser- 
vant of  the  slightest  service  rendered  to  his  church  or  his  people,  and  never 
failed  to  acknowledge  it  as  a  personal  obligation.  His  presence  brought 
peace,  and  left  a  charm  in  every  household,  and  his  visits,  however  brief, 
or  infrequent  they  might  necessarily  be,  were  highly  prized  and  appreciated 
by  all  who  were  privileged  to  receive  them,  and  these  were  not  limited  to 
any  sect,  station,  or  condition  in  life.   .   .    . 

As  a  citizen.  Dr.  Baird  was  an  intensely  patriotic  and  loyal  man.  A  firm 
believer  in  the  unity  of  the  government,  and  its  ardent  supporter,  he  recog- 
nized the  duty  as  well  as  the  privilege  of  exercising  the  right  of  suffrage, 
and  however  distasteful  and  unpleasant  the  surroundings  of  the  ballot-box, 
he  never  failed  to  come  up  to  the  poll  and  deposit  his  vote,  determined 
that  if  good  and  proper  men  were  not  elected  to  office,  it  should  be  through 
no  fault  or  neglect  of  his.  He  gave  much  time  and  thought  to  public  mat- 
ters, not  only  in  the  government  and  State,  but  in  the  town  and  its  sur- 
roundings. He  endeavored  by  all  means  in  his  power  to  beautify  and  adorn 
it.  He  encouraged  every  effort  to  improve  the  physical  and  mental  condition 
of  its  inhabitants,  making  it  a  point  to  be  present  at  all  literary  and  scientific 
entertainments,  often,  doubtless,  at  the  sacrifice  of  his  own  rest  and  con- 
venience. His  patriotism  prompted  his  work  of  the  history  of  the  town 
and  that  of  the  Huguenot  emigration,  for  he  believed  that  a  knowledge  of 
the  men  and  the  incidents,  the  martyrs  and  the  trials,  the  devotion  and  the 
sacrifice  which  preserved  a  free  religious  faiih,  and  initiated  a  popular  sys- 
tem of  government,  would  stimulate  the  generations  to  come  to  value  and 
maintain  the  blood-bought  heritage.  As  he  was  known  to  all  so  he  was  be- 
loved by  all,  and  as  he  passed  along  all  shared  his  recognition  and  kindly 
greeting.  We  may  aptly  quote  for  him  from  the  description  of  the  good 
English  vicar  : 

"  Even  children  followed  with  endearing  wile, 
And  plucked  his  gown  to  share  the  good  man's  smile." 

He  has  passed  away  from  us  at  an  age  when  we  had  reason  to  hope  for 
many  years  of  usefulness,  yet  with  his  life-work  well  rounded  and  completed. 
He  has  left  the  impress  of  his  thought  and  culture  upon  many  minds  which 
now,  and  in  the  days  to  come,  will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed.  We,  his 
contemporaries,  mourn  that  we  shall  see  his  face  and  hear  his  kindly  voice  no 
more,  but  we  thank  God  for  the  privilege  of  having  known  him,  and  for  all 
the  pleasant  associations  which  cluster  around  his  memory,  and  make  the 
world  brighter  and  better  because  he  lived  in  it. 


68  TRIBUTES. 

Extract  from  the  minutes  of  a  meeting  of  the  Session  of 
the  Rye  Presbyterian  Church,  held  March  21,  1887. 

It  having  pleased  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  our  Heavenly  Father,  in 
His  inscrutable  wisdom,  to  take  our  pastor,  the  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird, 
D.D.,  honored  and  tenderly  beloved,  from  the  activities  of  this  life  to  the 
glorious  service  of  the  Temple,  not  made  with  hands,  and  to  the  presence 
of  the  Lamb,  who  is  the  light  thereof, — 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  Session  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Rye,  bow 
with  profound  grief,  but  humble  submission,  to  the  will  of  that  Lord  and 
Master,  whose  faithful  servant  he  was. 

Resolved,  That  we  cannot  adequately  convey,  in  words,  our  sense  of  loss, 
or  fittingly  express  our  appreciation  of  the  honor  and  privilege  we  esteem  it, 
to  have  been  so  long  and  intimately  associated  with  one  of  such  rare  godliness 
of  life  and  purity  of  character.  He  was  an  earnest  follower  of  Christ,  of 
singular  modesty,  of  unfailing  courtesy,  a  ripe  scholar,  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  loyal,  gentle,  and  true  —  a  Christian  gentleman. 

Resolved,  That  in  his  death  this  church  will  ever  mourn  a  faithful  pastor, 
who  loved  God  and  preached  truth  and  righteousness  ;  a  judicious  counsel- 
lor, pitiful  to  the  weak,  yearning  after  the  erring,  whose  heart  never  wearied, 
whose  hands  never  faltered  in  ministering  to  the  wants  of  even  the  lowliest. 
It  was  his  happiness  to  serve  his  people,  also  the  community  in  which  he 
dwelt,  and  they  pray  that  they  may  so  follow  his  teachings,  so  copy  his 
example,  that  finishing  their  earthly  course  with  joy,  they  may  live  with  him 
unto  God,  forevermore. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  the  family  of  our  dear  pastor  our  warmest 
sympathy,  in  this  hour  of  deep  sorrow  and  distress,  and  we  pray  that  the 
precious  Saviour  will  bring  to  their  hearts  the  sustaining  grace  and  comfort 
which  they  need. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  upon  the  minutes  of  session, 
and  that  a  copy  of  them,  duly  attested,  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Baird. 

W.  H.  Parsons, 

Clerk  of  Session. 

Resolutions  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Rye,  N.  Y. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  the 
town  of  Rye,  held  at  the  chapel  Tuesday  afternoon,  February  22,  1887  (the 
regular  quarterly  meeting  on  the  first  Monday  of  February  having  been 
omitted  on  account  of  the  illness  of  the  pastor),  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  : 


TRIBUTES.  69 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  God,  in  His  all-wise  Providence,  to  take  unto 
Himself  the  beloved  pastor  of  this  church,  the  Reverend  Charles  W.  Baird, 
D.D.,  whereby  great  sorrow  and  bereavement  have  fallen  upon  the  church 
and  congregation  and  the  entire  community  ;  and 

Whereas,  It  is  customary  and  eminently  fit  that  with  devout  submission 
to  the  will  of  God,  some  official  commemoration  should  be  made  by  us  of  his 
long  and  faithful  Christian  ministry  here,  and  of  his  pure  and  holy  charac- 
ter and  virtues,  which  have  endeared  him  to  everyone  who  knew  him.  Now 
therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  are  deeply  grateful  to  God,  the  giver  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift,  for  the  ministry  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  during 
which  our  pastor  has  been  permitted  to  exercise  his  pure  and  gentle  influence 
upon  our  lives  and  of  those  who  have  gone  before  him.  None  knew  him  but 
to  love  him.  The  poor,  the  humble,  those  of  all  degrees  and  stations  in  life 
and  without  respect  to  creed  or  denominational  belief,  in  joy  or  sorrow,  alike 
received  his  love  and  sympathy.  In  all  times  of  affliction  his  comfort  was 
ever  ready  and  abundant,  and  out  of  every  event  in  life  he  sought  to  draw  a 
lesson  to  teach  us  the  way  to  God.  In  the  law  of  God  did  he  meditate  day 
and  night.  As  a  citizen  he  was  patriotic  and  devoted  to  the  right.  As  a 
scholar  he  was  learned  and  most  diligent  in  research,  and  in  his  printed  works 
has  left  behind  him  models  of  painstaking  and  valuable  accuracy,  in  which 
it  seems  as  though  nothing  had  been  left  undone  to  illustrate,  exhaust,  and 
adorn  the  subjects  which  he  treated. 

In  the  pulpit,  and  in  all  the  departments  of  pastoral  life,  he  lived  very  near 
the  hearts  of  his  people,  always  preaching  the  very  word  of  Christ,  and  sub- 
ordinating all  that  was  of  self,  to  the  one  grand  and  single  end  and  aim  of 
drawing  his  people  to  and  keeping  them  with  Christ ;  setting  before  them 
meanwhile  the  example  of  a  life  pure  and  holy,  and  consistent  with  every 
truth  which  he  taught.  We  feel  that  this  is  unusual  eulogy,  but  that  all  who 
knew  him  will  bear  us  witness  that  it  is  just  and  true.  Of  him  it  maybe  said, 
with  truest  meaning,  that  he  lived  and  was  a  Christian  gentleman. 

Resolved,  That  his  good  works  shall  live  after  him,  that  his  noble  and 
gentle  example  remains  for  emulation,  that  the  lives  which  he  influenced  so 
much  for  good  shall  show  the  results  of  his  teaching,  and  that  this  church  and 
congregation,  with  Divine  assistance,  shall  strive  to  continue  his  labors. 

Resolved,  That  this  minute  be  entered  at  length  upon  the  records  of  the 
church,  and  a  copy  engrossed  and  presented  to  Mrs.  Baird. 

William  Life,  Chairman. 
Edward  B.  Cowles,  Secretary. 

Minute  of  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester,  held  at  Peekskill,  April 
19,  1887,  the  following  minute  was  adopted  : 


70  TRIBUTES. 

Whereas,  God  in  his  Providence  has  taken  from  us  our  beloved  brother 
and  presbyter,  Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  the  Presbytery  of  Westchester 
desires  to  place  upon  record  its  deep  sense  of  affliction  and  loss  in  the  re- 
moval of  this  brother  beloved.  Therefore 

Resolved  (i),  That  in  the  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Baird  the  members  of  this 
Presbytery  experience,  individually,  the  grief  of  a  personal  affliction  and  a 
profound  sense  of  loss  in  the  removal  of  one  who  occupied  a  central  place 
in  our  hearts,  and  whose  loving  Christian  fellowship  has  ever  been  to  us  an 
inspiration  and  a  benediction. 

Resolved  (2),  That  the  Presbytery  takes  pleasure  in  recording  not  only  its 
high  appreciation  of  the  qualities  of  personal  character,  the  marked  con- 
scientiousness and  fidelity,  as  well  as  the  Christian  gentleness  and  urbanity 
which  in  so  eminent  a  degree  characterized  our  brother,  but  also  of  his 
faithfulness  and  the  value  of  his  influence,  the  wisdom  of  his  counsels,  and 
the  fervor  of  his  prayers,  by  which  he  contributed  so  much  to  the  satisfac- 
tion and  profit  of  our  meetings  of  Presbytery. 

Resolved  (3),  That  the  Presbytery  desires  to  express  its  sincere  and  heart- 
felt sympathy  with  the  afflicted  family  circle,  from  which  the  beloved  hus- 
band and  father  and  brother  has  been  taken,  and  also  with  the  bereaved 
session  and  church  and  congregation  from  whom  one  of  the  best  of  friends 
and  wisest  of  counsellors,  as  also  one  of  the  most  laborious  and  faithful  and 
efficient  of  pastors  has  been  taken  away. 

Resolved  (4),  That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Baird  the  communit}'  and  church 
at  large  have  occasion  to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  whose  eminent  and  exact 
scholarship,  and  whose  indefatigable  diligence  and  industry  have  accom- 
plished much  in  the  way  of  investigating  and  preserving  important  histori- 
cal facts,  not  only  as  pertaining  to  the  churches  of  our  own  Presbytery  and 
of  our  country,  but  whose  investigations  have  been  of  great  value  to  the 
church  and  country  at  large,  and  whose  reputation  and  work  as  an  historian 
has  been  not  only  an  honor  to  the  Presbytery,  but  of  important  service  to 
the  cause  and  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Redeemer. 

Resolved  (5),  That  these  resolutions  be  placed  upon  the  minutes  of  Pres- 
bytery, and  a  copy  of  them  be  sent  to  the  family  of  our  deceased  brother. 
Attest —  W.  J.   CUMMING, 

Stated  Clerk. 

From  the  minutes  of  the  Synod  of  New  York,  in  ses- 
sion in  the  city  of  Auburn,  October  20,  1887. 

Extract  from  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  the  His- 
tory of  the  Synod : 


TRIBUTES.  71 

The  Synod  of  New  York  at  its  last  meeting  appointed  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  Rev.  Messrs.  Charles  W.  Baird,  Samuel  M.  Hopkins,  and  T. 
Ralston  Smith,  and  Elders  Walter  Carter  and  Lewis  H.  Clark,  "  to  prepare 
a  history  of  the  Synod  and  report  the  next  year."  This  action  was  taken  in 
accordance  with  the  recommendation  of  the  General  Assembly  "in  view  of 
the  approaching  one  hundredth  session  in  1888." 

The  lamented  death,  since  the  last  meeting  of  the  Synod,  namely  on  the 
lOth  of  February  last,  of  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  Dr.  Charles 
Washington  Baird,  than  whom  none  other  in  the  Church  could  have  been 
more  fitly  appointed  to  that  work,  has  devolved  upon  the  second  member  of 
the  committee  the  preparation  of  the  report. 

Charles  W.  Baird  was  the  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Robert  Baird,  whose  emi- 
nent services  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  evangelization,  both  in  Europe 
and  America,  make  his  name  still  familiar  and  dear  to  the  Church. 

His  mother  was  a  lady  of  French  family  and  Huguenot  extraction,  which, 
together  with  the  fact  of  several  years'  early  residence  in  Paris  and  Geneva, 
explains  the  source  of  his  enthusiastic  and  highly  successful  researches  into 
the  history  of  French  Protestantism,  resulting  finally  in  his  admirable  work 
in  two  volumes  on  the  history  of  the  Huguenot  emigration  to  America. 

Completing,  in  1852,  his  studies  for  the  ministry  at  the  New  York  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  he  sailed  immediately  for  Europe  under  appointment 
to  take  charge  of  the  American  Chapel  in  Rome.  It  was  still  the  day  (God 
be  praised  that  we  have  witnessed  its  close  !)  of  the  Pope's  temporal  sover- 
eignty in  Rome  ;  and  Mr.  Baird  could  preach  the  Gospel  within  the  walls  of 
that  city,  only  under  the  protection  of  the  American  flag,  and  in  the  house 
of  our  then  resident  minister  at  the  Papal  court,  Mr.  Lewis  Cass.  Let  us 
further  praise  God  that  that  diplomatic  line  has  expired,  and  that  America 
has  no  longer  any  use  for  an  ambassador  in  the  Italian^peninsula,  except  at 
the  court  of  the  elected  and  constitutional  ruler  of  united  and  emancipated 
Italy. 

Returning  to  this  country  Mr.  Baird  assumed,  in  1861,  the  charge  of  the 
church  in  Rye,  Westchester  County,  which  for  the  twenty-six  years  follow- 
ing continued  to  be  the  scene  of  his  labors.  In  the  face  of  greatly  impaired 
health  and  frequent  acute  suffering,  Dr.  Baird  prosecuted  not  only  his 
faithful  pastoral  work  in  this  place,  attended  with  a  large  blessing  and  fre- 
quent additions  to  the  church,  but  engaged  in  literary  activities  demanding 
laborious  and  long-continued  research.  One  of  the  earliest  and  best  known 
of  these  (though  published  anonymously)  was  his  collection  of  Presbyterian 
liturgies  under  the  title  of  "Eutaxia."  His  residence  among  the  French 
and  Swiss  Protestants,  who  have  perpetuated  in  their  worship  the  decorous 
and  devotional  forms  left  them  by  John  Calvin  and  other  leaders  of  the  Re- 


72  TRIBUTES. 

formed  Church,  led  him  to  appreciate  highly  the  "strength  and  beauty  " 
there  is  in  well-conducted  services  in  which  the  people  openly  take  part. 
This  work,  showing  that  the  earliest  Reformed  Presbyterian  churches  wor- 
shipped by  means  of  pre-composed  forms,  gave  perhaps  its  first  impulse  to 
that  strong  and  growing  sentiment  in  our  churches  which  demands  some- 
thing more  of  dignity  and  propriety  than  heretofore  in  the  conduct  of  our 
public  devotional  services. 

Several  minor  and  local  historical  publications  were  followed  at  length  by 
Dr.  Baird's  greatest  history,  the  fruit  of  many  years'  toil,  "  The  Huguenot 
Emigration  to  America,"  a  book  whose  admirable  typographic  dress,  from 
the  publication  house  of  Messrs.  Dodd,  Mead,  &  Co.,  fitly  corresponds 
to  the  elegance  and  finish  of  the  history  itself. 

Of  Dr.  Baird's  personal  qualities,  which  endeared  him  so  much  to  his 
friends  and  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  his  uniform  Christian  gentleness 
and  courtesy,  his  moderation  and  love  of  peace,  and  the  sweet  devoutness 
that  colored  all  his  words  and  actions,  it  is  needless  further  here  to  speak. 
Multis  ille  bonis  Jlebilis  occidit. 

The  committee  trusts  to  the  indulgence  of  the  Synod  in  laying  this  brief 
tribute  on  the  tomb  of  one  who,  had  Providence  spared  his  life,  would  with 
such  eminent  fitness  have  appeared  as  their  historian  on  this  occasion. 
Attest —  T.  Ralston  Smith, 

Stated  Clerk,  Synod  of  N.   Y. 

Memorial  Minute  of  the  Directors  of  Union  Theologi- 
cal Seminary : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  the  city  of  New  York,  held  May  lo,  1887,  the  following  minute  was 
unanimously  adopted  : 

The  Directors  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  desire  to  place  on  record 
their  appreciation  of  the  loss  that  the  Seminary  in  common  with  the  church  at 
large  has  sustained  in  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Washington  Baird,  D.D., 
of  Rye,  N.  Y.,  an  Alumnus  of  the  class  of  1852,  and  for  more  than  a  year  a 
member  of  this  Board.  Dr.  Baird  was  born  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  August  28, 
1828,  was  graduated  at  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York  in  1848,  was 
ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  and 
was  for  several  years  chaplain  of  the  American  congregation  at  Rome, 
Italy.  He  was  afterwards  pastor  of  a  Reformed  church  in  Brooklyn,  and  for 
more  than  twenty-five  years  preceding  his  death,  which  occurred  February 
10,  1887,  he  was  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Rye. 

Of  distinguished  parentage.  Dr.  Baird  inherited  characteristics  that  fitted 
him  peculiarly  for  wide  usefulness,  and  which,  united  with  a  ripe  scholar- 


TRIBUTES.  73 

ship  and  a  truly  consecrated  spirit,  made  him  interesting  and  instructive  as 
a  preacher,  and  judicious  and  influential  as  a  pastor.  His  contributions  to 
literature  manifested  extensive  research  and  conscientious  study,  while  the 
purity  of  his  style  and  his  clearness  in  expression  placed  the  results  before 
his  readers  in  most  attractive  form. 

Personally,  he  was  singularly  attractive,  and  by  his  gentleness  of  manner, 
his  unfailing  courtesy,  and  his  quick  appreciation  of  the  character  and  needs 
of  others,  he  made  himself  universally  beloved. 

As  an  alumnus  and  a  director  of  this  institution  he  was  faithful  to  all  its 
interests.  Punctual  in  his  attendance  upon  the  meetings  of  the  Board,  emi- 
nently wise  in  counsel  and  efficient  in  action,  he  will  be  greatly  missed  by 
his  associates  in  office. 

In  every  department  of  life's  duties  he  was  a  faithful,  devoted  servant  of 
his  divine  Master,  and  the  command  to  lay  down  his  work  on  earth,  although 
coming  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  was  to  him  but  the  summons  to  rest 
from  his  labors,  and  to  enter  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord, 

To  the  bereaved  church  and  family  the  members  of  this  Board,  in  trans- 
mitting to  them  this  tribute  of  respect  and  affection,  would  also  tender  the 
assurance  of  their  heart-felt  Christian  sympathy. 

Resolutions  of  the  Vestry  of  Christ  Church,  Rye,  N.  Y. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  vestry  of  Christ  Church,  Rye,  held  February 
II,  1887,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  : 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  our  Heavenly  Father  to  remove  from  among  us 
our  beloved  friend,  the  Reverend  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Rye,  we,  the  rector,  wardens,  and  vestrymen  of  Christ 
Church,  Rye,  have  met  together  to  testify  to  our  sympathy  in  the  bereave- 
ment which  has  befallen  our  town  and  county.  For  nearly  twenty-six  years, 
the  term  of  his  pastorate  at  Rye,  Dr.  Baird,  by  his  exalted  Christian  char- 
acter, his  active  benevolence,  his  cordial  sympathy  and  co-operation  in 
every  good  work,  his  ever-ready  and  helpful  ministrations  to  the  poor,  the 
sick,  and  the  afflicted,  has  embalmed  his  memory  in  the  hearts  of  all  of  our 
people.  Although  attached  to  his  own  church,  he  always  manifested  the 
most  kindly  interest  in  the  welfare  of  ours,  and  in  affliction  we  counted  him 
a  friend. 

Resolved,  That  the  rector,  wardens,  and  vestrymen  of  Christ  Church, 
Rye,  attend  the  funeral  of  the  late  Reverend  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  at 
the  Presbyterian  church,  Rye,  on  Monday,  February  14,  1887,  at  2 
o'clock  P.M. 

Resolved,  That  we  hereby  tender  to  the  family  of  the  deceased  our  sincere 
and  heart-felt  sympathy,  and  the  assurance  of  the  prayers  by  our  church  that 
God  may  sustain,  strengthen,  and  support  them  by  His  gracious  help. 


74  TRIBUTES. 

Resolved,  That  the  foregoing  preamble  and  resolutions  be  entered  in  the 
minutes  of  the  church,  and  that  a  copy  of  them  be  sent  to  the  family  of  Dr. 
Baird.  Thomas  T.  Sherman, 

Clerk  pro-tem. 

Action  of  the  Huguenot  Society  of  America: 

The  Huguenot  Society  of  America,  since  its  last  meeting,  has  heard  with 
the  deepest  sorrow  of  the  sudden  death,  on  the  loth  of  February  last,  at  his 
home  in  Rye,  New  York,  of  the  Reverend  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  one  of 
the  few  who  originally  met  at  the  New  York  Historical  Society's  library  to 
organize  this  Society,  and  the  learned  author  of  the  "  History  of  the  Hugue- 
not Emigration  to  America,"  recently  published.  Dr.  Baird  was  the  first 
to  arouse  publicly  the  descendants  of  the  Huguenots  in  America  to  the  im- 
portance of  preserving  and  perpetuating  the  early  history  and  records  of 
their  French  and  Walloon  ancestors.  Upwards  of  twelve  years  before  his 
death  he  called  the  attention  of  those  of  them  in  Westchester  County  and 
New  York  City  to  this  subject  in  an  address  at  White  Plains  before  the 
Westchester  County  Historical  Society,  and  which  was  repeated  upon  other 
occasions. 

He  was  the  earliest  to  examine  and  study  the  ancient  records  of  the  French 
Church  in  this  city,  freely  opened  to  him  by  the  late  rector  of  that  church 
and  its  wardens  and  vestrj'men,  with  the  spirit,  eye,  intention,  and  hand  of 
the  historian.  In  like  manner  did  he  investigate  those  of  New  Rochelle 
and  New  Paltz  in  this  State,  and  those  of  the  Huguenot  centres  in  the 
other  old  States,  as  well  as  the  many  private  papers  willingly  laid  before 
him.  The  results,  in  part,  of  these  labors  are  now  before  the  world  in  the 
two  volumes  aforenamed,  which  will  ever  remain  a  monument  of  his  abil- 
ity and  skill  in  this,  his  chosen  field  of  historic  research. 

Twice  did  he  cross  the  ocean  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  investigate  and 
profit  by  the  European  sources  of  American  Huguenot  history.  And  this, 
too,  of  his  own  volition  and  at  his  own  charge.  Personally  Dr.  Baird  was 
one  of  the  most  refined,  retiring,  and  courteous  of  men,  as  well  as  one  of 
the  most  winning.  Firm  in  his  convictions,  gentle  in  his  manners,  sensitive 
in  his  feelings,  he  was  ever  the  Christian  gentleman,  and  the  loved  and 
trusted  guide,  counsellor,  and  friend.  In  placing  this  memorial  notice 
upon  its  minutes,  this  Society  bears  witness  to  the  great  loss  which,  in 
common  with  all  of  Huguenot  descent  in  America,  it  has  sustained  in  his  too 
early  death,  and  adds  its  tribute,  so  justly  due  to  his  memory  and  his  worth, 
in  loving  testimony  of  its  appreciation  of  his  early  and  successful  labors  in 
the  field  of  American  Huguenot  history.  Edward  F.  De  Lancey, 

B.  F.  De  Costa, 

New  York,  April  13,  1887.  Committee. 


TRIBUTES.  75 

The  Westchester  County  Historical  Society,  of  which 
Rev.  Dr.  C.  W.  Baird  was  a  vice-president,  took  the  fol- 
lowing action  at  its  annual  meeting,  October  28,  1887 : 

The  Westchester  County  Historical  Society  places  upon  its  records,  with 
the  deepest  regret,  this  memorial  notice  of  one  of  its  earliest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished members,  who  has  passed  from  earth  since  its  last  meeting — the 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  of  Rye. 

A  divine  of  learning,  devoted  as  a  pastor,  and  a  thorough  gentleman,  he 
enjoyed  and  merited  the  love  and  high  respect,  not  only  of  his  own  people, 
but  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

As  the  historian  of  Rye  in  this  county,  and  of  the  Huguenot  emigration 
to  America,  he  proved  his  ability  and  thoroughness  of  research,  and  full 
appreciation  of  his  subjects,  and  his  works  will  be  regarded  as  among  the 
most  valuable  for  their  interest,  fulness  of  detail,  and  agreeable  style,  that 
have  been  issued  from  the  American  press.  In  other  fields  of  literary  work 
he  was  equally  distinguished,  and  this  Society  will  ever  bear  his  memory  in 
high  honor  and  sincere  regard. 


SERMONS. 


77 


THE   YOKE   AND   THE   CROSS. 

Matt.  xi.  28. 
"  Take  My  yoke  upon  you.' 

Mark.  x.  21. 
"  Take  up  the  cross." 

Here  are  two  invitations  to  a  duty — the  duty  of  serv- 
ing Christ ;  and  here  are  two  images  of  that  service  — 
the  yoke,  and  the  cross.  It  would  not  occur  to  any  one 
of  us  to  select  either  of  these  images  for  the  purpose  of 
an  invitation.  Both  the  objects  named  are  uninviting, 
displeasing.  The  yoke,  as  it  was  in  use  in  our  Saviour's 
time,  and  as  it  is  still  used  in  Eastern  countries,  a  heavy 
wooden  frame,  designed  for  beasts  of  labor.  And  the 
cross,  familiar  to  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  day,  though  a 
Roman  and  not  a  Jewish  instrument  of  death,  a  heavy 
wooden  frame  designed  for  condemned  criminals.  Both 
of  these  objects  were  burdensome.  Both  were  imposed, 
unwillingly  endured,  never  assumed.  The  yoke  was  put 
upon  the  neck.  The  cross  was  laid  on  the  shoulders,  and 
carried  by  the  criminal,  or  by  some  one  acting  for  him,  to 
the  place  of  crucifixion.  "  Him  they  compelled  to  bear 
his  cross." 

The  first  thing  then  that  we  notice  in  these  sayings  of 
Christ  is  the  seeming  contradiction  involved  in  each  of 

79 


80  SERMONS. 

them.  Each  contains  a  double  paradox,  or  seeming  con- 
tradiction. First,  in  the  command,  Take  My  yoke,  Take 
the  cross.  Submit,  we  should  rather  expect  to  hear  it 
said,  in  connection  with  figures  like  these,  yield  to  the 
yoke,  the  cross  ;  not,  assume  it,  lay  hold  upon  it,  appro- 
priate it.  And  secondly,  in  the  design  of  the  command. 
The  yoke  is  for  labor.  All  its  associations  are  with  toil 
hard  and  strenuous  work.  Yet  Christ  bids  us  take  it  in 
order  to  rest.  Ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls.  The 
cross  is  for  suffering  and  death.  All  its  associations  are 
with  pain  and  sacrifice.  Yet  Christ  says  to  the  young  man 
who  comes  to  Him  asking,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  have 
eternal  life  ?  take  up  the  cross ;  choose  that,  and  you 
choose  eternal  life. 

Thus  we  see  that  these  sayings  of  our  Lord,  have 
this  in  common  with  each  other,  that  they  present  to  us 
a  great  duty  in  a  very  striking  form.  The  duty,  I  repeat, 
is  that  of  giving  ourselves  to  His  service,  submitting  our- 
selves, freely  and  gladly,  to  the  obedience  of  His  will,  fol- 
lowing Him  in  a  path  of  self-denial.  And  the  paradox, 
the  seeming  contradiction  involved  in  the  use  of  the 
strong  figure  employed  in  each  case  to  set  forth  this  idea, 
stamps  the  thought  upon  the  mind  in  a  form  most  definite. 
"  Take  My  yoke  upon  you.     Take  up  the  cross." 

Another  fact  to  be  noticed  is  that  these  are  the  only 
sayings  of  Jesus  in  which  that  duty  is  thus  stated.  We 
meet  with  no  other  images  in  the  Gospel,  of  submission  to 
Christ,  obedience  to  His  will,  self-denial  for  His  sake,  at 
all  analogous  to  these  in  our  text.  The  yoke  and  the 
cross  are  the  two  chosen  emblems  of  His  service.  And 
the  command  coupled  with  these  images  —  "Take  My 
yoke  upon  you,  take  up  the  cross  "  —  is  like  nothing 
else  in  the  Saviour's  teachings. 


THE  YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  8 1 

Again,  these  sayings  of  Christ  have  this  in  common 
with  each  other,  that  the  object  mentioned  by  the  Saviour 
is  in  each  case  an  object  identified  with  Himself,  to 
receive  which  is  to  come  into  fellowship  with  Him.  Take 
My  yoke  upon  you.  Share  this  service,  this  toil,  with 
Me.  Take  up  the  cross  —  the  cross  that  speaks  of  My 
sufferings  and  death.  Each  of  these  objects  is  His.  And 
to  appropriate  it  is  to  be  brought  into  a  close  relation  and 
companionship  with  Christ. 

Again,  these  two  invitations  of  Christ  to  men  have 
this  in  common,  that  both  were  addressed  to  persons  in 
whom  the  Saviour  was  deeply  interested,  whom  He  was 
exceedingly  anxious  to  win  to  His  service,  and  who 
seemed  peculiarly  susceptible  to  His  persuasions,  and 
very  likely  to  be  influenced  by  them.  You  remember  in 
what  connection  it  was  that  Jesus  spoke  to  men  of  His 
service  as  a  yoke.  Come,  He  said  to  those  among  the 
multitudes  whom  He  saw  to  be  unsatisfied,  unhappy, 
longing  for  inward  peace,  and  weary  of  seeking  that 
peace  through  the  outward  forms  of  a  ceremonial  reli- 
gion. "Come  unto  Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy- 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  My  yoke  upon 
you."  And  you  remember  on  what  occasion  it  was  that 
Christ  spoke  to  a  man  of  His  service  as  a  cross  :  when 
one  came  running,  and  kneeled  to  Him,  and  asked  with 
such  earnestness  and  ingenuousness,  What  shall  I  do 
that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life?  "Come,"  said  Jesus, 
beholding  him  with  a  love  that  sought  his  salvation, 
"  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  Me," 

But  now  with  these  points  of  correspondence,  there 
are  certain  points  of  marked  difference  between  these 
sayings  of  Christ,  which  I  shall  ask  you  to  consider  also. 
And  first,  the  Lord   Jesus  spoke  to  men  of  bearing  His 


82  SERMONS. 

yoke,  before  He  mentioned  His  cross  to  them.  It  was 
many  months  after  that  invitation  addressed  to  the 
laboring  and  the  heavy-laden,  in  which  He  used  the 
former  of  these  emblems,  that  Jesus  began  to  show  unto 
His  disciples  how  that  He  must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and 
suffer  many  things  of  the  elders,  and  chief  priests,  and 
scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again  the  third  day ; 
and  that  for  the  first  time  He  made  use  of  this  image  of 
His  sufferings  and  death,  the  cross,  as  an  emblem  of  the 
self-denial  that  would  be  necessary  in  the  case  of  every 
one  who  should  follow  Him.  The  yoke  preceded  the 
cross  in  the  order  of  Christ's  teachings  as  we  have  them 
in  the  Gospels.  And  so,  we  may  remark,  in  the  order  of 
the  Saviour's  dealings  with  us,  the  duty  of  submitting 
to  Christ  comes  first.  Take  His  yoke  upon  you,  and 
learn  of  Him.  This  is  the  first  thing  to  do.  What 
there  will  be  for  you  of  cross-bearing  you  cannot  foresee 
now.  The  present,  the  immediate  duty  for  you,  is  to  as- 
sume His  yoke. 

In  the  second  place,  I  remark  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
spoke  to  men  of  bearing  His  yoke  in  terms  which 
He  never  used  when  He  spoke  of  bearing  the  cross.  He 
said :  "  My  yoke  is  easy,  and  My  burden  is  light." 
Those  who  come  to  Him  to  seek  rest,  in  submitting  to 
His  authority  and  will,  find  it  so.  Love  to  Him  makes 
it  pleasant  to  obey  Him.  His  commands  indeed  are  no 
other  than  those  which  once  seemed  irksome  and  dis- 
pleasing when  the  heart  had  not  yielded  to  God,  But 
now  that  the  heart  is  changed,  now  that  it  feels  a  Sa- 
viour's love,  duty  ceases  to  be  viewed  as  repugnant, 
hateful.  For  the  sinful  nature  indeed  that  has  not  been 
utterly  destroyed,  it  will  still  be  what  it  was,  hard  and 
against  the  grain.     But  for  the  new  man,  the  nature  that 


THE   YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  83 

has  been  created  in  you  by  God's  good  spirit,  duty  is 
light,  and  grace  makes  the  doing  of  it  easy.  But  observe 
that  Christ  never  spoke  of  His  cross  as  h'ght,  or  of  cross- 
bearing  as  easy.  It  is  not  joyous  but  grievous.  Religion 
in  one  of  its  aspects  is  stern  and  trying.  Strait  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life. 
There  are  struggles  with  sin  that  are  like  resisting  unto 
blood.  There  are  self-denials  that  are  like  plucking  out 
an  eye  or  parting  with  very  life.  Christ  does  not  call 
these  things  easy. 

Thirdly,  let  us  notice  that  of  the  two  images  before 
us,  and  of  the  ideas  that  are  connected  with  them,  the 
one  was  much  more  familiar  to  our  Lord's  hearers 
than  the  other.  It  was  far  less  difficult  to  understand 
Him  when  He  spoke  of  taking  on  a  yoke,  than  when  He 
spoke  of  taking  up  a  cross.  The  Jews  could  not  be  sur- 
prised when  the  Saviour  referred  to  His  service  under 
this  name.  They  themselves  were  in  the  habit  of  speak- 
ing of  their  religious  law,  the  ceremonial  law  of  Moses, 
as  it  was  interpreted  to  them  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
as  a  yoke,  and  they  were  accustomed  to  this  image  as  an 
emblem  also  of  political  subjection.  At  this  very  time, 
the  iron  yoke  of  Roman  despotism  was  resting  upon  their 
nation,  just  as  in  former  ages  their  fathers  had  groaned 
under  the  burden  of  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  rule. 
Besides,  they  were  familiar  with  this  image,  as  it  frequent- 
ly appeared  in  their  Scriptures.  God  said  to  His  people, 
when  He  had  brought  them  forth  out  of  Egypt:  "  I  have 
broken  the  bands  of  your  yoke."  The  Jews  were  warned 
by  Moses,  that  if  they  should  forsake  the  Lord,  He  would 
put  a  yoke  of  iron  upon  their  neck,  till  He  should  have 
destroyed  them.  Isaiah  prophesied  of  the  coming  of 
Christ,  to  break  the  yoke  of  His  people's  burden.     Jere- 


84  SERMONS. 

miah  was  directed  of  God  to  make  yokes,  and  send  them 
to  the  kings  of  Edom  and  Moab  and  other  neighboring 
nations,  with  a  message  from  God  bidding  them  submit 
to  the  king  of  Babylon  and  serve  him,  until  the  time 
should  come  for  the  downfall  of  that  kingdom.  All  men 
know  that  such  yoke-bearing,  whether  for  individuals  or 
for  nations,  though  it  may  not  be  pleasant,  is  often  neces- 
sary and  useful.  Human  nature  needs  restraints,  and 
God  in  His  wisdom  sees  to  it  that  we  shall  have  them. 
Providence  lays  them  upon  us,  and  whilst  the  yoke  is  not 
of  our  choosing,  often  the  safest  and  best  thing  for  us  to 
do  is  to  submit  to  it.  Hananiah,  the  false  prophet,  took 
the  yoke  which  Jeremiah  had  placed  upon  his  own  neck, 
as  a  sign  to  his  people  that  they  must  submit  to  the 
dominion  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  broke  it  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  people,  and  said :  "Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  even  thus  will  I  break  the  yoke  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
king  of  Babylon,  from  the  neck  of  all  nations  within  the 
space  of  two  full  years."  But  God  sent  word  to  him : 
"Thou  hast  broken  the  yoke  of  wood,  but  I  have  put  a 
yoke  of  iron  upon  the  neck  of  all  these  nations."  Often 
the  very  worst  thing  that  could  befall  us  would  be  the 
sudden  removal  of  providential  checks  and  burdens  from 
us,  a  sudden  emancipation  from  bonds  which  we  have 
thought  severe,  a  freedom  to  act  our  own  pleasure  and 
serve  our  own  ends.  How  many  have  lived  to  testify  to 
the  truth  of  the  prophet's  words :  "  It  is  good  for  a  man 
that  he  bear  the  yoke  in  his  youth."  Better  a  strict  rule 
than  no  rule.  Better  a  stern,  hard  discipline  than  law- 
lessness. For  the  heaviest,  sorest  yoke  that  can  be  laid 
upon  us,  is  the  yoke  of  Satan's  service;  and  when  the 
sinner  thinks  himself  most  free,  to  find  his  happiness  in 
the  pleasures  of  sin,  he  is  most  a  slave. 


THE  YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  85 

I  say,  then,  that  in  using  this  image  to  represent  His 
service,  our  Lord  employed  language  very  familiar  to 
His  hearers,  and  very  clear,  I  add,  to  us.  Submit  we 
must  in  this  life,  and  as  the  finite  and  mortal  beings 
that  we  are,  to  discipline,  to  restraint,  to  bounds  and 
limitations  that  may  fitly  be  likened  to  a  yoke.  There 
is  no  escape  for  us,  no  choice  between  service  and  free- 
dom ;  but  ah  !  we  have  a  choice  as  to  the  service.  The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  invites  us  to  choose  His  service,  and 
tells  us  that  in  so  doing  we  shall  find  rest  for  our  souls. 
In  every  other  service,  under  every  other  yoke,  we  shall 
experience,  sooner  or  later,  dissatisfaction,  weariness,  un- 
rest. It  may  be  from  no  fault  in  the  service.  You  are 
tied  down  to  business.  It  is  an  honest,  a  useful  employ- 
ment to  which  Providence  has  manifestly  called  you,  and 
in  which  Providence  manifestly  detains  you.  But  you 
chafe  under  its  burdens  and  amid  its  restrictions  ;  you 
weary  of  its  monotony;  you  droop  under  its  narrow  and 
low  prospects  ;  you  are  disappointed  with  its  poor  and 
mean  rewards.  Or,  though  the  occupation  be  congenial, 
and  though  prospered  in  it  beyond  all  expectation,  still, 
it  is  in  vain  that  you  seek  in  its  gains  and  profits  the  rest 
and  the  peace  of  soul  for  which  you  secretly  thirst. 
"  The  world  can  never  give  the  peace  for  which  we  sigh." 
Much  more,  if  the  service  be  in  itself  sinful,  if  the  yoke 
be  the  yoke  of  self-indulgence,  of  sensuality,  of  grasping 
covetousnesss,  much  more  must  there  be  discord  in  the 
soul,  from  an  outraged  conscience  and  from  opposition 
to  a  holy  God.  But  Christ  says  :  "  Take  My  yoke  upon 
you.  Come  to  Me  for  rest.  In  My  service  you  shall  have 
peace  with  God,  and  peace  with  self,  and  peace  with  na- 
ture, and  peace  with  all  the  orderings  and  appointments 
of  Providence."     Your  yoke,  your  burden,  the  pressure 


86  SERMONS. 

of  which  you  will  feel  in  your  daily  duties  and  under  your 
daily  trials — it  will  not  be  the  claims  of  business,  the  ne- 
cessities of  your  position,  the  force  of  circumstances,  the 
responsibilities  of  life,  so  much  as  Christ's  service,  into 
which  duties  and  trials  and  responsibilities  shall  all  re- 
solve themselves  ;  and  though  you  seem  to  be  the  busy, 
toil-worn  man  of  trade,  or  the  patient  worker  in  the  home, 
you  shall  have  it  to  say:  "I  serve  the  Lord  Christ  "  ;  and 
you  shall  be  able  to  testify,  His  yoke  is  easy,  and  His 
burden  is  light. 

But  the  cross  was  no  such  familiar  object  to  those  who 
heard  it  mentioned  in  the  Saviour's  later  teachings.  It 
was  an  unusual,  a  mysterious,  and  an  awful  emblem  ;  and 
such  it  continued  to  be  when  men  came  to  understand 
its  meaning,  and  to  see  that  it  represented  the  trials,  the 
sacrifices,  the  self-denials  of  the  Christian  life. 

Once  more,  I  remark,  our  best  preparation  for  the  trials 
and  self-denials  that  may  await  us  in  the  Christian  life,  is 
to  be  found  in  meek  submission  to  the  Saviour,  and  sim- 
ple obedience  to  His  commands.  The  easy  yoke  will 
prepare  us  for  the  hard  and  painful  cross.  Sometimes,  it 
is  true,  difificulties  and  sufferings  meet  the  disciple  at  the 
threshold  of  the  Christian's  life,  and  the  first  step  he  takes, 
in  following  the  Saviour,  is  the  step  that  costs  the  most 
of  sacrifice  and  self-renouncement.  So  the  convert  from 
heathenism  has  often  found  it,  when  all  the  ties  of  nature, 
and  all  the  bonds  of  friendship  held  him  back  from  Christ, 
and  only  by  a  wrench  that  seemed  to  tear  the  heart 
asunder  could  he  break  away  from  the  old  life  and  free 
himself  to  serve  the  Lord;  and  so  Christ  set  His  service 
before  the  rich  young  man,  who  was  so  wedded  to  his 
possessions,  and  so  encased  in  his  self-righteousness,  that 
the  only  hope  to  win  him  to   that  service  was  by  setting 


THE   YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  8/ 

before  him  at  once  its  stern  requirements,  and  calling  up 
the  cross.  But  more  usually,  under  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  and  amidst  the  influences  of  religion,  the  invita- 
tion that  goes  forth  to  men,  is  to  take  Christ's  yoke  upon 
them,  to  yield  their  hearts  to  Him,  to  engage  at  once  in 
the  work  of  doing  His  will,  and  accustom  themselves  to 
His  service.  More  usually,  the  dealings  of  God  with  the 
young  especially  are  very  gentle  and  gracious  ;  and  whilst 
He  bids  them  count  the  cost  of  entering  upon  that  ser- 
vice, and  forsaking  the  service  of  a  sinful  world,  it  is  the 
yoke  and  not  the  cross  which  they  have  in  present,  im- 
mediate view.  God  in  His  providence  so  orders  it  that 
they  may  first  learn  the  sweet  lesson  of  submission  to 
Jesus,  of  believing  in  Him  as  their  Redeemer  and  obeying 
Him  as  their  Master,  and  experiencing  the  happiness  of 
serving  Him  in  all  things,  and  enjoying  the  blessed  free- 
dom that  He  gives  from  the  service  of  sin,  and  the  heavy 
burden  of  care,  and  the  weary  effort  to  work  out  their 
own  righteousness;  before  they  shall  know  much  of  re- 
ligion as  a  cross ;  before  any  great  sacrifices  will  be  de- 
manded of  them  ;  before  any  fierce  temptations  will  assail 
them ;  before  they  shall  have  to  drink  deep  in  the  cup  of 
sorrow.  And  this,  dear  friends,  is  a  very  merciful  arrange- 
ment of  our  loving  Saviour.  O  how  tenderly  and  how 
beseechingly  He  says  now  to  you  in  the  morning  of  life, 
comparatively  shielded  from  the  troubles  of  life,  and  yet 
really  burdened  with  sin,  and  needing  to  be  delivered 
from  the  bondage  of  Satan,  and  from  the  accusings  of  a 
conscience  that  is  not  at  peace,  Come  unto  Me,  and  take 
My  yoke  upon  you  !  What  are  all  these  dealings  of  your 
heavenly  Father  with  you,  dealings  peculiarly  gentle  and 
gracious,  but  opportunities  to  engage  in  this  good  ser- 
vice, to  accustom  yourself  to  this  light  and  easy  yoke,  to 


88  SERMONS. 

acquaint  yourself  with  this  kind  Master,  to  exercise  your- 
self in  the  daily  and  common  duties  of  the  Christian  life 
that  you  may  be  prepared  for  the  stern  trials,  the  sharp 
conflicts,  the  bitter  sacrifices  that  maybe  to  come?  I  do 
not  say  that  God  has  promised  to  keep  the  cross  faraway 
out  of  your  sight,  even  for  the  present.  Very  possibly 
you  may  see  something  of  it  now.  Christ  gave  intima- 
tions of  His  own  approaching  sufferings  to  His  disciples 
long  before  He  began  to  speak  to  them  plainly  on 
the  subject.  He  told  Nicodemus,  who  came  to  Him 
by  night,  in  strange  and  mysterious  language,  of  some 
future  provision  for  saving  men  ;  of  the  lifting  up  of  the 
Son  of  man,  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
ness, long  before  He  even  mentioned  the  cross  to  Peter 
and  James  and  John.  And  so  for  the  young  Christian 
there  may  be  some  early  foretaste  of  the  trials  and  self- 
denials  that  he  must  needs  endure  if  faithful  to  his 
Saviour  ;  and  he  must  count  the  cost.  He  must  give 
himself  to  Christ  for  all  time  and  all  eternity,  and  for 
every  service  and  every  experience  that  may  be  in  keep- 
ing for  him.  He  must  be  willing  to  take  up  his  cross 
now.  Self  is  to  be  denied,  sin  is  to  be  crucified  from 
the  first.  "Whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  cross  and  come 
after  Me  cannot,"  says  Christ,  "  be  My  disciple."  But  as 
yet  probably  it  is  only  a  dim  and  remote  conception  to 
you,  this  cross-bearing,  this  endurance  of  great  trial, 
much  suffering,  for  Jesus'  sake.  What  you  have  to  do 
now  is  chiefly  to  bear  His  yoke.  O,  see  to  it  that  you 
do  that,  and  do  it  faithfully  and  heartily  !  Learn  to  ac- 
cept all  duties  as  part  of  Christ's  service.  Home  duties, 
week-day  duties,  Sabbath  and  sanctuary  duties,  labors  in 
the  Sabbath-school,  secret  prayer,  Bible  study,  daily  and 
hourly  watching  over  the  life,  deeds  of  kindness  towards 


THE   YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  89 

others,  gifts  to  the  poor  and  to  the  Church  and  Kingdom 
of  Christ — learn  to  accept  all  these  things  as  forming 
part  of  the  service  which  He  invites  you  to  render  Him, 
and  which  you  promised  to  render  Him  when  you  took 
His  yoke  upon  you.  Do  not  call  these  duties  crosses. 
Cross-bearing  is  another  thing.  Ah  !  you  will  know  the 
cross  when  it  comes — when  the  Master  sees  fit  to  lay  it 
upon  you.  That  cross  may  be  bitter  reproach  for  His 
sake.  It  may  be  chronic  infirmity  or  acute  suffering.  It 
may  be  the  giving  up  of  cherished  plans  and  purposes, 
and  the  taking  up  of  unwelcome  and  difficult  duties.  It 
may  be  the  fight  with  temptation,  the  resisting  unto 
blood,  striving  against  sin.  But  the  practice  of  these 
quiet  duties  of  the  home  life,  and  the  daily  calling,  and 
the  Sabbath  and  the  secret  walks  with  God — this  is  bear- 
ing the  yoke  of  Jesus ;  and  it  is  an  easy  yoke.  Easy, 
not  to  our  selfish  and  corrupt  nature,  that  rebels  against 
any  work  that  is  not  in  harmony  with  its  evil  inclinations, 
but  easy  to  that  in  you  that  loves  Christ  and  desires  to 
be  holy  ;  easy  to  the  new  man,  which  is  renewed  after 
the  image  of  that  Saviour,  and  wants  to  grow  more  and 
more  like  Him.  And  the  faithful  bearing  of  this  yoke 
will  prepare  you  to  endure  the  cross  when  God  shall  send 
it.  Learning  of  Jesus,  as  thus  you  strive  humbly  to 
serve  Him  in  lowly,  quiet  ways,  submission,  obedience, 
will  bring  you  so  close  to  Him,  into  such  sweet  and  blessed 
sympathy  with  Him,  that  when  trial  comes  it  will  be 
found  that  nothing  can  separate  you  from  His  love. 
Neither  life  nor  death,  nor  things  present  nor  things  to 
come,  shall  be  able  to  separate  you  from  the  love  of  God 
which  is  Christ  Jesus  your  Lord. 

Follow  the  disciple  who  has  grown  accustomed  to  the 
Master's  yoke  into  the  world  of  temptation.     Follow  him 


90  SERMONS. 

into  the  valley  of  affliction  and  the  shadow  of  death,  and 
will  he  deny  the  Lord  who  bought  him,  when  the  light 
burden  of  His  services  is  exchanged  for  the  heavy  cross? 
The  young  Christian  goes  forth  from  the  home  where  he 
has  felt  the  gentle  constraint  of  holy  influences,  from  the 
Christian  fold,  where  he  has  become  well  acquainted  with 
the  Shepherd's  voice.  He  goes  forth  with  grateful  love 
and  humble  confidence  towards  his  Redeemer,  to  find 
himself  surrounded,  in  strange  scenes,  by  those  who  make 
a  mock  at  sin  ;  to  find  himself  beset  with  persuasions 
and  enticements  to  evil,  and  with  the  mightier  arguments 
of  scorn  and  ridicule  of  all  that  is  good.  What  better 
preparation  could  he  have  for  that  great  trial  of  principle, 
that  heavy  cross,  than  the  bearing  of  his  Saviour's  yoke 
in  the  times  of  his  security  and  peace  ?  The  Christian 
who  has  led  a  life  singularly  placid  and  prospered,  with 
few  experiences  that  could  be  called  crosses,  but  steadily 
and  earnestly  striving  to  bear  the  yoke  of  submission  and 
obedience  to  his  dear  Lord,  is  suddenly  brought  to  know 
severe  suffering  or  fierce  temptation  or  crushing  affliction. 
What  better  preparation  could  there  have  been  for  him 
against  that  hour  than  the  long  acquaintance  with  Jesus 
and  His  service  which  he  has  been  enabled  to  gain  while 
wearing  that  yoke.  "  Eighty  and  six  years  have  I  served 
Him,  and  He  hath  never  wronged  me,"  said  Polycarp,  the 
early  martyr,  when  commanded  to  renounce  his  faith  in 
Christ,  that  he  might  escape  the  flames;  "and  shall  I 
deny  Him  now?     You  threaten  me  in  vain." 

Blessed  yoke  of  Jesus  !  may  we  bear  it  willingly,  cheer- 
fully, and  be  ready  for  the  cross,  when  it  shall  please  Him 
to  send  it,  that  we  may  honor  Him  in  His  own  appointed 
way! 

Blessed  religion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  so  beautifully 


THE  YOKE  AND  THE   CROSS.  9 1 

adapted  to  our  wants;  so  admirably  suited  to  this  life  of 
ours,  that  flows  on  uniformly  and  quietly,  and  unevent- 
fully, and  that  yet  has  its  great  emergencies,  its  great 
catastrophes;  a  life  to  live  which,  we  need  daily  guidance 
and  discipline,  and  preparation  too  for  the  great  trials 
and  perils,  and  for  the  end  that  surely  cometh! 

What  folly  and  what  guilt  to  reject  such  a  Friend  and 
Saviour  as  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose  yoke  is  easy  and 
whose  burden  is  light ! 


II. 

GO  AND  SEE. 

Mark  vi.  38. 
"  He  saith  unto  them,  How  many  loaves  have  ye?     Go  and  see." 

Five  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children,  were 
gathered  in  a  lonely  spot,  east  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  far 
from  town  or  village.  They  had  been  listening  for  many 
hours  in  rapt  attention  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus; 
and  He,  moved  even  more  than  usually  with  compassion 
at  the  sight  of  so  great  a  multitude,  so  ignorant,  so  de- 
pendent, so  like  unto  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd,  seemed 
as  indifferent  as  they  to  the  lapse  of  time.  But  the  sun 
was  now  sinking  behind  the  hills  of  Naphtali,  and  the 
shadows  were  lengthening  across  the  little  plain  where 
they  were  met.  The  disciples  are  the  first  to  notice  the 
approach  of  evening,  and  to  bethink  themselves  of  the 
necessities  of  the  hour.  They  venture  to  interrupt  their 
Lord,  and  remind  Him  :  "This  is  a  desert  place,  and  the 
time  is  far  passed  ;  send  the  multitude  away,  that  they 
may  go  into  the  country  round  about,  and  buy  them- 
selves bread."  Jesus  "knew  what  He  would  do";  but 
His  purpose  of  mercy  toward  the  famished  multitude  was 
a  purpose  also  of  wise  instruction  for  His  disciples.  Be- 
fore resorting  to  the  expedient  of  His  omnipotence  to 
meet  the   exigency  of  the  occasion,  He  sets  them  upon 

92 


GO  AND   SEE.  93 

contriving  how  to  meet  that  exigency  with  their  own 
narrow  devices  and  slender  resources.  He  fastens  upon 
them  their  responsibility  in  the  matter.  And  He 
answered  and  said  unto  them  :  "  They  need  not  depart ; 
give  ye  them  to  eat."  At  the  same  time,  calling  to  Him 
one  of  the  disciples,  Philip  of  Bethsaida,  who  was  a  native 
of  that  region,  and  might  therefore  be  supposed  to  be 
better  acquainted  than  the  rest  with  the  ways  and  means 
for  the  supply  of  this  urgent  want.  He  said  unto  him, 
"  Whence  shall  we  buy  bread  that  these  may  eat  ?  "  Philip, 
making  a  rough  estimate  of  the  numbers  present,  pro- 
nounced the  plan  impracticable.  Two  hundred  penny- 
worth of  bread — a  sum  much  beyond  their  collective 
means — would  not  begin  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  so  many. 
Clearly  the  people  must  be  sent  away,  to  shift  for  them- 
selves. But  this  thought  was  one  which  the  Master 
would  not  entertain  for  a  moment.  He  will  hold  His 
disciples  to  the  duty.  They  must  provide  for  the  neces- 
sities of  this  multitude.  If  they  cannot  buy  bread  for 
them,  they  must  give  them  what  they  have,  be  it  ever  so 
little.  And  so,  dropping  the  plan  of  supply  by  purchase, 
and  following  up  His  first  startling  suggestion,  "Give  ye 
them  to  eat,"  He  asks  them,  "  How  many  loaves  have  ye  ? 
Go  and  see." 

"  Go  and  see."  It  is  possible  that  these  words  may 
have  been  added  to  the  question,  in  order  to  prevent  a 
hasty  and  inexact  reply.  The  disciples  were  doubtless 
ready  with  the  answer.  "  We  have  none.  We  brought 
no  bread  along  with  us.  We  came  on  short  notice  and 
in  secret  with  Thee  to  this  desert  place,  not  expecting  to 
remain  here  so  long,  and  we  have  no  provisions,  or  none 
worth  mentioning."  The  answer  would  have  been  natural, 
and  it  would  have  been  true,  so  far  as  their  knowledge  at 


94  SERMONS. 

the  moment  extended.  For  it  was  only  upon  inquiry 
that  one  of  the  disciples,  Andrew,  Simon  Peter's  brother, 
learned  what  he  hastened  to  report  to  the  Master: 
"  There  is  a  lad  here,  which  hath  five  barley-loaves,  and 
two  small  fishes;  but  what  are  they,"  he  added,  "among 
so  many?"  What,  indeed.  These  loaves  were  little 
cakes,  three  of  which  were  required  for  the  meal  of  a 
single  person ;  and  the  whole  stock  of  the  young  com- 
missary would  not  have  exceeded  the  want  of  one  hungry 
man  at  that  late  hour  of  the  day.  It  was  to  draw  out 
this  fact,  which  Andrew  thought  so  slight  and  insignifi- 
cant, that  our  Lord  added  to  the  question,  "  How  many 
loaves  have  ye?"  the  command,  "Go  and  see." 

Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  a  wise  and  faithful  Teacher ; 
and  one  aim  which  He  had  in  view  in  training  His  dis- 
ciples while  He  had  them  with  Him,  was  to  form  them  to 
habits  of  great  accuracy  in  ascertaining  and  reporting 
facts.  They  were  to  be  His  witnesses ;  and  what  could 
be  more  important  than  that  they  should  become  accus- 
tomed to  careful  observation  and  investigation  with  re- 
gard to  the  facts  which  they  were  to  proclaim  abroad,  and 
reduce  to  writing,  for  the  benefit  of  coming  generations — 
the  facts  concerning  His  person  and  character  and  work? 
They  were  His  people;  and  how  necessary  that  they 
should  resemble  Him  and  represent  Him  to  the  world  in 
that  feature  of  His  character  which  is  one  of  its  highest 
excellencies — His  truthfulness.  His  unswerving,  unfalter- 
ing fidelity  to  the  truth!  Just  such  representatives  and 
witnesses  of  Christ  these  disciples  came  to  be.  And  it  is 
our  great  satisfaction,  in  reading  these  Gospels  which 
were  written  by  some  of  them,  and  which  contain  their 
testimony  as  to  the  facts  of  the  Saviour's  history,  to  know 
not  only  that  these  men  were  inspired  of  God  to  relate 


GO  AND   SEE.  95 

these  things,  and  were  preserved  from  any  error  or  nnis- 
take  by  His  controlling  Spirit,  but  also  that  as  men  they 
were  honest,  intent  upon  adhering  strictly  and  invariably 
to  the  truth ;  men  who  had  ample  opportunity  to  ascer- 
tain the  facts  which  they  relate,  and  who  made  full  use 
of  their  opportunity.  Our  text  illustrates  the  Saviour's 
method  in  training  His  disciples  to  this  office.  It  was  a 
caution  to  them  against  haste  and  heedlessness  in  the 
statement  of  fact.  And  as  such  a  caution  we  may  take  it 
to  ourselves.  We  need,  every  one  of  us,  to  beware  of  a 
disregard,  an  indifference  to  truth,  showing  itself  in  loose 
and  random  and  unguarded  statements  upon  any  subjects 
of  our  thought  and  conversation.  It  matters  not,  in  this 
view,  whether  the  subject  be  religious  or  secular,  serious 
or  trivial,  involving  great  and  important  issues,  or  only 
the  interests  of  the  passing  hour.  Truth  is  one ;  and  we 
are  bound  to  be,  always  and  in  all  things,  witnesses  for 
the  truth.  The  truth  is  a  trust ;  and  one  to  which  the 
Master's  word  may  be  applied,  "  He  that  is  faithful  in 
that  which  is  least  is  faithful  also  in  much."  Study  then 
to  be  sincere  and  accurate  in  all  representations  of  fact. 
Cherish,  I  would  say  especially  to  the  young  (and  em- 
phatically to  the  youth  who  are  here  seeking  mental  im- 
provement and  preparation  for  a  future  honorable  career 
in  life),  cherish  as  of  the  first  importance  the  habit  of  ex- 
act thinking  and  exact  speaking ;  the  habit  of  a  scrupu- 
lous adherence  to  truth  ;  the  habit  of  seeking  to  know  and 
seeking  to  testify  only  that  which  is  real.  Cultivate  that 
profound  reverence  for  truth  that  will  seal  the  lips  to  all 
exaggeration  and  petty  falsification,  as  well  as  shield  the 
mind  from  prejudice  and  wilful  error.  Old  and  young, 
we  may  all  profit  by  the  caution  of  our  text ;  a  caution 
against  any  violation  of  truth,  resulting  from  inattention 


96  SERMONS. 

to  facts  which  may  be  ascertained.  The  apostle  Paul 
drew  a  picture  of  actual  life,  which  may  be  recognized  as 
readily  in  our  day  as  it  might  be  in  his,  when  he  spoke  of 
certain  men  as  "  understanding  neither  what  they  say, 
nor  whereof  they  affirm. "  How  many  such  there  are, 
and  how  much  of  the  vain  and  foolish  conversation  com- 
mon among  men  may  be  traced  to  this  source  !  How 
much  of  misstatement  and  misrepresentation,  how  much 
of  scandal  and  calumny,  and  of  pernicious  error,  would 
be  prevented  by  that  care  which  Christianity  bids  its  fol- 
lowers exercise,  to  prove  all  things,  to  verify  the  facts,  to 
give  no  currency  to  a  lie,  though  the  lie  may  seem  to  be 
but  a  trifle  !  "Go  and  see,"  said  Jesus,  before  His  dis- 
ciples could  have  time  to  answer  the  question,  "  How 
many  loaves  have  ye."  "  Go  and  see.  Take  your  time 
and  ascertain.  Make  sure  that  you  are  right."  And  when 
they  knew,  they  said,  "  Five,  and  two  fishes."  It  was  a 
lesson  of  exactitude. 

But  secondly,  it  was  a  lesson  as  to  their  responsibility. 
The  question  without  the  command  would  simply  have 
drawn  the  attention  of  the  disciples  to  the  smallness  of 
their  resources,  the  emptiness  of  their  common  fund. 
But  the  command  led  them  on  to  the  discovery  that  they 
had  something  to  give  the  multitude.  It  was  very  little, 
but  it  was  enough  to  constitute  them  the  stewards  of 
God's  bounty,  to  supply  the  wants  of  their  hungry  fellow- 
men.  It  was  little,  but  it  was  enough  to  take  from  them 
the  plea  of  utter  inability;  enough  to  silence  the  request 
of  selfishness :  "  Send  the  multitude  away,  that  they  may 
go  and  buy  themselves  bread." 

Such  a  lesson,  my  friends,  the  Lord  would  teach  His 
people  now ;  and  I  have  chosen  the  words  of  my  text 
chiefly  with  the  hope  that  I  might  impress  it  upon  your 


GO  AND   SEE.  97 

hearts  and  have  it  impressed  upon  my  own  heart.  There 
is  a  lesson  we  all  need  to  learn  as  to  our  individual  re- 
sponsibility and  our  responsibility  as  a  Christian  church, 
to  feed  others  with  the  bread  of  life,  and  to  seek  at  the 
same  time  to  be  fed  ourselves.  Every  Christian  has  re- 
sources of  usefulness  at  his  command  which  he  is  called 
upon  to  devote  to  the  service  of  his  God  and  the  good 
of  his  fellow-men.  We  are  living  in  a  world  where  men 
are  hungering  for  spiritual  food  ;  hungering,  though  they 
know  it  not,  for  the  knowledge,  the  strength,  the  peace 
and  comfort  which  the  Gospel  only  can  give.  And  God 
says  to  every  child  of  His  who  stands  amid  this  throng  of 
the  famishing  and  perishing :  "  Give  ye  them  to  eat ;  there 
is  no  other  way  in  which  they  can  be  fed.  There  are  no 
other  agencies  at  work  for  their  supply.  They  are  left 
to  you  to  be  cared  for.  You  cannot  send  them  away. 
You  cannot  let  them  pass  from  your  reach  and  influence 
without  fearful  guilt  to  yourself  and  utter  ruin  to  them. 
^' Give  ye  them  to  eat."  Now  there  perhaps  is  no  impulse 
more  natural  and  more  universal  among  the  professed 
disciples  of  the  Saviour  than  the  impulse  to  disclaim  the 
ability  to  meet  this  demand.  The  Christian  is  ready  to 
say,  in  his  timidity,  his  self-distrust,  his  conscious  weak- 
ness and  ignorance  and  inexperience  :  "  I  have  nothing 
to  give  ;  no  stores  of  knowledge  to  open  ;  no  wisdom  to 
impart ;  no  eloquence  with  which  to  plead  with  men  for 
my  Saviour  ;  no  force  of  character  to  bring  to  bear  upon 
them  ;  and  no  time,  no  leisure  to  devote  to  the  work; 
and  no  wealth,  no  means  to  consecrate  to  the  service  of 
my  God."  Now  it  is  not  for  us  to  say  how  far  this  lan- 
guage of  self-depreciation  is  prompted  by  a  genuine 
sense  of  deficiency  and  unfitness,  or  how  far  it  springs 
from  our  native  selfishness  and  indolence.     Good  men 


98  SERMONS. 

have  breathed  such  confessions  of  their  weakness  and 
ignorance  and  want  of  skill.  Moses  prayed  the  Lord  to 
let  him  off  from  his  errand  as  His  messenger;  for  he 
said  :  "  I  am  slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue."  And 
more  than  one  of  God's  prophets  sought  to  be  excused 
from  duty  on  some  such  plea  of  insufificiency.  But  in 
every  such  case,  my  brethren,  the  question  needs  to  be 
pressed  upon  the  conscience  and  the  reason  of  God's 
servant,  "  Is  it  so  ?  Have  no  talents  been  lodged  with 
thee  by  thy  Maker?     Go  and  see." 

We  may  take  this  direction  as  applying  to  the  temporal 
resources  of  the  Church  and  the  individual  Christian.  The 
demands  that  are  made  in  our  days  upon  the  Church  for 
help  to  spread  the  Gospel  throughout  the  world  are  many 
and  great.  And  they  are  not  likely  to  diminish  in  the 
future  in  frequency  and  urgency,  but  rather  to  increase. 
The  Gospel  is  gaining  access,  more  and  more  widely, 
to  the  millions  in  heathen  lands  to  whom  Christ  would 
have  it  carried  ;  and  to  accomplish  this,  the  efforts  of  His 
people  must  be  redoubled,  their  gifts  must  be  larger,  their 
sacrifices  for  His  cause  more  noble  and  cheerful.  It  is 
perhaps  the  first  impulse  of  a  Christian  congregation  to 
question  the  possibility  of  such  enlargement.  The  Church 
can  barely  sustain  its  own  institutions.  The  Christian 
can  scarcely  meet  his  own  individual  obligations.  How 
shall  these  growing  demands  of  the  cause  of  missions  be 
met?  What  shall  be  the  Church's  response  to  the  call 
that  comes  from  India,  from  China,  from  Japan,  from  the 
heathen  at  our  doors  in  New  Mexico,  from  the  freedmen 
within  our  border?  My  brethren,  surely  we  can  hear  the 
Master's  voice,  saying — as  He  bends  compassionately  over 
these  millions  who  are  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd — 
saying  to  us,  as  He  said  to  the  Twelve:    "  How  many 


GO  AND   SEE.  99 

loaves  have  ye  ?  What  means,  what  resources,  can  ye 
bring  forth — what  self-denials  can  ye  exercise  for  My 
sake,  and  for  the  sakes  of  these  perishing  ones?  Go  and 
see.  Survey,  in  the  light  of  this  great  emergency,  your 
possessions,  your  blessings,  and  ascertain  whether  there  is 
not  something  more  that  a  disciple  of  Mine  can  do,  to 
spread  My  gospel,  and  to  save  the  souls  for  whom  I 
died." 

Still  more  manifestly,  we  may  take  this  direction  as  ap- 
plying to  the  spiritual  resources  of  the  Church.  There  are 
times  when  the  people  of  God  seem  called  upon  to  con- 
sider what  they  are  doing,  and  what  in  His  providence 
they  are  called  upon  to  do,  for  the  advancement  of  His 
kingdom,  within  their  own  immediate  field  of  activity. 
Perhaps  it  is  the  impulse  of  diffidence  or  of  indolence 
to  say :  "We  can  do  no  more  than  we  are  attempting 
now.  We  have  barely  enough  of  strength  to  keep  up  the 
efforts  already  undertaken — to  maintain  the  prayer-meet- 
ing, the  Sabbath-school,  the  missionary  work.  We  must 
be  content  if  we  can  preserve  these  agencies  of  good  from 
drooping  and  dying  out ;  content  to  hold  on  the  even 
tenor  of  our  way.  Our  spiritual,  even  as  our  financial  re- 
sources, are  less  than  they  have  been.  We  have  fewer  to 
take  the  lead,  and  fewer  to  follow,  in  any  effort  that 
looks  to  the  saving  of  souls  around  us."  It  would  be 
sad,  my  brethren,  if  as  a  Church  we  were  to  indulge  in 
thoughts  like  these  ;  and  more  sad  still  if  our  faithful 
Saviour,  who  is  the  Head  of  the  Church,  should  suffer 
these  excuses  from  duty  to  pass  unrebuked.  But  no — 
His  word  to  us,  as  it  was  to  His  disciples,  is,  "Go  and 
see."  Is  it  true  that  we,  as  a  people,  can  do  no  more  to 
benefit  our-fellow  men  and  serve  our  Master  than  we  are 
actually  doing  ?     Is  it  true  that  all  the  talents  have  been 


lOO  SERMONS. 

put  to  use — that  all  the  efficiency  of  the  Church  has  been 
exerted — that  all  the  methods  of  doing  good  have  been 
tried — that  there  are  none  who  can  be  persuaded  to  work 
for  God — none  who  can  be  induced  to  speak  for  Christ  ? 
Let  us  resolve  at  least  that  such  a  conclusion  shall  not  be 
reached  without  thorough  and  earnest  and  prayerful  con- 
sideration. 

But  the  Church  is  made  up  of  individual  members,  and 
an  inquiry  into  the  resources  of  the  Church,  its  spiritual 
resources,  means  after  all  an  inquiry  as  to  the  ability  of 
its  individual  members  for  doing  good,  by  living  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  striving  to  bless  others.  And  this  in- 
quiry, my  friends,  can  be  conducted  only  by  Christians 
themselves,  each  one  listening  for  himself,  for  herself, 
to  the  Saviour's  questions :  "  How  much  of  power  and 
of  opportunity  for  doing  good  do  ye  possess  ?  What  can 
you  do,  to  feed  my  perishing  ones  with  the  bread  of 
life  ?  "  and  each  also  heeding  the  command  that  comes 
along  with  the  question  :  "  Go  and  see."  Do  not  reply 
heedlessly.  Take  time  to  think.  Do  what  the  man  of 
business  does,  be  he  ever  so  hurried  and  crowded.  Take 
account  of  stock.  Investigate  your  resources.  Now  we 
all  know  full  well  the  answer  that  springs  to  the  lips — 
Moses'  answer  —  Isaiah's  answer  —  Jeremiah's  answer: 
"Ah,  Lord  God  !  behold,  I  cannot  speak — I  cannot 
work  for  Thee — for  I  am  a  child — only  a  child  in  spirit- 
ual knowledge  and  experience,  unfit  to  benefit  others, 
needing  myself  to  be  taught  and  warned  and  encouraged. 
I  am  pressed  with  business  cares,  and  have  no  time.  I  am 
burdened  with  troubles  ;  and  have  no  heart  for  the  work." 

But  again  the  command  comes  :  "  Go  and  see."  This 
church  is  composed  of  persons,  very  many  of  whom  have 
been  brought  up  in  homes  of  piety,  and  have  learned  the 


GO  AND   SEE.  lOI 

truth  of  religion  from  the  precepts  and  examples  of  godly 
parents ;  persons,  very  many  of  whom  have  been  trained 
in  the  Sabbath-school,  and  have  lived  under  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  all  their  lives.  And  is  it  so,  that  one 
who  has  enjoyed  these  advantages  can  have  nothing  to 
impart  of  the  knowledge  of  eternal  life  to  those  who 
know  not  the  love  of  Christ  ?  But,  moreover,  this  church 
is  made  up  very  largely  of  persons  who  have  been  taught 
of  God  in  the  school  of  affliction.  What  they  have 
learned  of  religious  truth  from  parents  and  teachers  and 
pastors  has  been  written  over  by  the  sharp  trials  that 
trace  indelible  lines  upon  the  tablets  of  the  heart. 
They  have  proved — oh,  yes,  blessed  be  God  !  they  have 
proved  the  reality  of  religion  by  its  power  to  uphold  in 
the  dark  valley  and  the  deep  waters.  They  have  found 
Christ  present  and  precious  when  other  friends  were 
taken  and  other  props  gave  way.  They  know  God's 
great  and  precious  promises  as  none  can  know  them 
until  they  have  leaned  on  them  the  whole  weight  of  their 
distress  and  anguish.  They  have  seen  heaven  open  to 
receive  dear  ones  who  have  gone  home  in  the  confidence 
of  an  unshaken  hope,  and  the  Father's  house  of  many 
mansions  is  a  reality  to  them.  And  they  have  learned 
the  emptiness  and  worthlessness  of  sinful  pleasures,  and 
the  wretchedness  of  a  life  without  God,  by  the  strong 
contrast  of  the  Christian's  peace  in  the  midst  of  trouble, 
the  Christian's  prospect  of  a  glory  soon  to  be  revealed, 
with  the  miserable  portion  of  one  who  is  a  stranger  to 
God.  Oh,  then,  do  you  not  see  it,  children  of  sorrow, 
tried  and  afflicted  disciples  of  Jesus,  these  are  experi- 
ences that  are  worth  owning,  and  that  are  worth  using  ? 
Can  you  plead  that  you  have  nothing  for  Christ's  ser- 
vice,   when    He   has    enriched    you    with    these    dearly- 


I02  SERMONS. 

bought  and  priceless  advantages  ;  these  recollections  of  a 
Saviour's  faithfulness ;  these  deep-wrought  persuasions 
of  the  reality  of  things  unseen  ;  this  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  the  value  of  religion  ;  this  acquaintance  with 
Christ,  as  known  in  the  furnace  of  affliction.  You  forgot 
this,  when  you  thought  yourself  utterly  without  fitness 
and  ability  to  serve  the  Master.  Go  then  and  see.  Paul 
remembered  his  trials  in  this  light  ;  and  he  never  rejoiced 
in  the  consciousness  of  his  eloquence,  his  powers  of 
endurance,  his  knowledge  of  human  nature,  as  he  re- 
joiced in  his  sufferings,  because  they  qualified  him  to  be 
so  useful  to  the  afflicted  children  of  God.  "  Blessed,"  he 
cries,  "  be  God,  even  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort,  who 
comforteth  me  in  all  my  tribulation,  that  we  may  be 
able  to  comfort  them  which  are  in  any  trouble,  by  the 
comfort  wherewith  we  ourselves  are  comforted  of  God." 
Christian,  there  are  those  all  around  you  who  need  com- 
fort, the  true  comfort.  Go  and  try  to  comfort  them 
with  the  comfort  wherewith  you  yourself  have  been  com- 
forted of  God.  A  great  part  of  a  pastor's  work  and  a 
pastor's  privilege  is  to  be  a  minister  of  consolation  to  the 
downcast  and  distressed.  It  is  to  speak  a  word  to  him 
that  is  weary.  It  is  to  endeavor  to  profit  by  the  hour 
when  sorrows  and  losses  have  made  the  conscience  ten 
der  and  the  heart  soft,  to  persuade  sinners  to  look  to  the 
Saviour  who  both  forgives  our  sin  and  bears  our  troubles  , 
and  it  is  to  bring  to  God's  own  children  whom  He  afflicts 
the  messages  of  peace  and  love  that  he  is  permitted  to 
bring  from  the  Father  of  consolation.  But  this  work  is 
for  you  as  truly  as  it  is  for  him.  Go  and  see  if  it  is  not 
so  ;  and  if  the  meaning  of  God's  afflictive  dealings  with 
you  is  not  truly  to  make  you  a  blessing  to  others. 


GO  AND   SEE.  IO3 

Thirdly,  the  words  which  the  Saviour  addressed  in  our 
text  to  His  disciples  were  designed  to  teach  them  their 
insufficiency.  They  had  something  for  this  hungry  mul- 
titude, something  wherewith  to  obey  His  command, 
*'  Give  ye  them  to  eat,"  but  how  little  it  was — how  mis- 
erably inadequate  the  supply  !  And  as  they  brought 
that  little  to  Jesus,  and  He  blessed  it  and  brake  it,  and 
the  slender  provision  of  the  little  fisher's  lad  became 
the  bountiful  feast  of  thousands,  and  as  they  took  up  of 
fragments  that  remained  after  all  had  eaten  and  been 
filled  twelve  baskets  full,  how  were  these  disciples  made 
to  recognize  and  to  adore  the  power  and  the  rich  com- 
passion of  their  Lord,  and  to  feel  that  all  their  sufficiency 
was  from  Him  ! 

Go,  then,  Christian,  go  and  see  how  small  are  your  re- 
sources, how  poor  you  are  in  ability  to  serve  your  Master 
and  promote  the  welfare  of  your  fellow-men,  that  you  may 
learn  to  trust  Him  for  His  blessing  upon  your  labors,  and 
to  praise  Him  for  all  success  in  the  endeavor.  Be  en- 
couraged, even  as  you  see  your  responsibility  and  at  the 
same  time  your  insufficiency,  to  look  to  Him  who  multi- 
plied the  loaves,  and  ask  Him  to  make  you  His  honored 
and  happy  instrument  in  saving  souls  and  building  up 
His  kingdom.  Relying  upon  Him,  engage  then  in  His 
works.  Try,  every  day,  to  do  something  for  Jesus.  Be 
ready  for  any  service  He  may  ask  of  you.  Be  on  the 
watch  for  opportunities  to  counsel,  to  warn,  to  comfort, 
to  help  your  fellow-man  as  Christ  would  have  you  do, 
acting  in  His  name  and  stead,  representing  His  benevo- 
lence and  mercy  to  men.  Go  and  count  up  your  mercies. 
Go  and  review  your  life.  Go  and  see  what  God  your 
Saviour,  what  God  who  has  shaped  your  life,  has  done  to 
fit  you  to  be  a  counsellor,  a  comforter,  a  guide,  a  helper 


I04  SERMONS. 

to  Others ;  how  God  has  replenished  you  that  you  might 
feed  others  with  the  bread  of  life  ;  how  God  has  fash- 
ioned and  furnished  you  for  usefulness,  and  self-im- 
provement by  all  the  teachings  of  His  word  and  the 
dealings  of  His  providence.  For,  do  not  forget  this,  in 
feeding  others  you  yourself  will  be  fed.  The  food  which 
the  disciples  brought  for  the  needs  of  the  multitude  was 
made  by  the  Master's  blessing  a  feast  for  them  as  well  as 
for  the  five  thousand.  So  the  Christian  will  himself  be 
strengthened  and  cheered  as  he  ministers  to  the  wants  of 
others. 

Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day  and  for- 
ever. In  that  yesterday  of  His  life  on  earth,  we  see  Him 
waiting  for  His  disciples  to  come  back  from  the  errand 
upon  which  He  had  sent  them.  The  hungry  multitude 
are  around  Him.  His  heart  is  full  of  compassion  toward 
them.  His  hands  are  full  of  power  to  bless  them.  But 
He  waits  for  the  Twelve.  Before  the  miracle  shall  be 
wrought,  they  must  go  and  see  what  they  have  to  share 
with  these  needy  ones.  They  must  bring  their  little 
store — the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes.  And  they 
must  take  the  food,  multiplied  as  He  breaks  it,  and  dis- 
tribute it  to  the  people.  So,  we  may  believe,  Christ  waits 
now  for  His  disciples  to  recognize  their  duty,  to  realize 
their  ability,  to  feel  their  obligation,  and  to  come  and 
place  their  all  at  His  feet,  before  He  will  do  this  great 
thing,  and  bless  their  humble  efforts  to  the  saving  good 
of  men.  Will  you  not,  then,  dear  hearer,  fulfil  this 
errand  upon  which  your  Lord  sends  you  ?  Go  and  see 
what  you  have  that  you  can  dedicate  to  His  service  and 
use,  with  His  blessing  upon  it,  for  the  comfort  and 
enlightenment  and  guidance  of  your  fellow-men;  what 
truths  lodged  in  your  memory  ;  what  consolations  gath- 


GO  AND   SEE.  lOJ 

ered  in  the  experience  of  suffering,  of  sorrow,  of  anxiety, 
of  bereavement ;  what  views  of  Jesus  and  His  love  ;  what 
hopes  of  heaven  ;  what  knowledge  of  the  way  of  life, 
gained  when,  long  ago,  perhaps,  you,  a  sinner,  found  a 
Saviour;  what  convictions  of  the  exceeding  evil  and 
bitterness  of  sin,  wrought  in  you,  it  may  be,  through 
painful  and  humbling  experiences  of  the  truth,  that  it  is 
a  sad  and  woful  thing  to  depart  from  God.  Go  and  see 
— in  the  light  of  prayer  and  the  Bible — what  you  have 
that  Christ  can  bless  and  use  for  His  glory  and  the  good 
of  men. 


III. 

THE   COAT   WITHOUT   SEAM. 

John  xix.  23. 
"  Now  the  coat  was  without  seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout." 

The  Roman  law,  under  which  our  Saviour  suffered 
crucifixion,  awarded  the  clothing  of  the  persons  sen- 
tenced to  the  penalty  of  death  to  the  ofificers  of  justice 
whose  duty  it  was  to  inflict  the  penalty.  Hence  it  came 
to  pass  that  the  soldiers  who  crucified  Jesus  obtained 
joint  possession  of  His  raiment,  and  divided  it  among 
them.  Having  in  this  way  disposed  of  all  save  the  coat 
or  tunic,  the  principal  article  of  clothing,  they  cast  lots 
to  decide  whose  that  should  be ;  for,  in  the  words  of  our 
text,  "  the  coat  was  without  seam,  woven  from  the  top 
throughout." 

Every  reader  of  the  Gospel  knows  why  this  fact  of  the 
distribution  of  the  Saviour's  raiment  among  His  execu- 
tioners is  mentioned  by  the  evangelists,  and  why,  in 
particular,  this  resort  to  the  lot  is  stated.  Obviously,  it 
is  because  of  the  exact  fulfilment,  here  found,  of 
a  prophecy  uttered  many  centuries  before  concerning 
Christ.  The  twenty-second  Psalm,  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  Messianic  psalms,  contains  these 
words,  represented  as  spoken  by  Messiah :  "  They  part 

106 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  lO/ 

my  garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon  my 
vesture."  This  is  only  one  of  several  striking  predic- 
tions of  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  that  occur  in 
the  same  psalm.  It  is  but  one  of  many  similar  predic- 
tions to  be  found  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures.  But 
it  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary,  because  of  its 
minuteness,  and  because  of  the  way  in  which  the  prophecy 
was  fulfilled  to  the  very  letter — even  to  the  casting  of  the 
lot  for  the  possession  of  a  part  of  the  Saviour's  raiment, 
inasmuch  as  it  was  without  seam  ;  and  hence  the  soldiers 
said,  "  Let  us  not  rend  it,  but  cast  lots  for  it." 

Our  text  has  frequently  engaged  the  attention  of 
readers  and  students  of  the  Gospel,  because  of  a  sym- 
bolic meaning  which  they  have  thought  to  see  in  it.  The 
early  Fathers  of  the  Church  regarded  the  seamless  coat 
of  Christ  as  emblematic  of  the  unity  and  indivisibility 
of  His  Church.  They  were  fond  of  dwelling  on  the  lan- 
guage of  the  soldiers.  *' Let  us  not  rend  it";  and  of 
drawing  a  lesson  from  these  words  upon  the  duty  of  sa- 
credly guarding  the  Church's  oneness,  and  a  warning 
against  schism  or  separation  from  the  one  true  fold. 
This  symbolic  sense  was  much  insisted  upon  at  the 
time  of  the  Reformation.  Matthew  Henry  tells  us  that 
those  who  opposed  Luther's  departure  from  the  Church 
of  Rome  had  much  to  say  about  the  "  tunica  inconsu- 
tilis"— the  seamless  robe  ;  and  some  of  them  laid  so  much 
stress  upon  it  that  they  were  called  the  Inconsutilistae, 
the  advocates  of  the  seamless  robe.  Such  a  meaning,  we 
all  know,  is  purely  fanciful ;  and  the  value  of  the  state- 
ment of  our  text  lies  not  in  any  figurative  sense  that 
may  be  drawn  from  it,  but  in  its  correspondence  with  the 
language  of  the  prophecy  to  which  I  have  referred.  Here 
is  one  of  those  proofs  of  the  truth  of  God's  word,  and 


I08  SERMONS. 

of  the  mission  of  Christ  as  the  Saviour  ordained  from  of 
old,  which  carry  conviction  to  every  intelligent  and  can- 
did mind.  The  same  Scripture  that  said,  "They  shall 
pierce  His  hands  and  His  feet,"  declared,  "They  part  My 
raiment  among  them."  The  same  Scripture  that  said, 
"  His  flesh  shall  not  see  corruption,"  and  again,  "  A  bone 
of  Him  shall  not  be  broken,"  declared  that  His  vesture 
should  not  be  rent,  but  that  this  strange  use  of  the  lot 
should  be  made  in  disposing  of  it. 

But  now  the  question  to  which  I  would  direct  your 
thought,  relates  to  the  agency  in  the  fulfilment  of  this 
prophecy.  Who  were  the  persons  that  were  instrumental 
in  carrying  out  to  the  very  letter  that  singular  prediction, 
which  David  had  been  inspired  to  make  a  thousand  years 
before  Christ's  day,  when  as  a  type  and  representative 
of  Christ  he  said  :  "  They  part  my  garments  among  them, 
and  cast  lots  upon  my  vesture"?  The  Roman  soldiers, 
we  say  at  once ;  also  Pilate,  the  Roman  governor,  whose 
sentence,  decreeing  the  prisoner's  execution,  implied  the 
disposition  to  be  made  of  his  effects.  The  soldiers  were 
the  actors  in  the  singular  scene,  and,  when  we  come  to 
think  of  it,  the  blind  instruments  of  the  Divine  will  for 
the  doing  of  that  which  had  been  foretold.  They  were 
the  men  who  were  instrumental  also  in  fulfilling  another 
remarkable  prediction  occurring  in  the  same  psalm. 
They  too  pierced  His  hands  and  His  feet.  They  were 
the  agents  for  the  fulfilment  of  those  wonderfully  dis- 
tinct and  graphic  predictions  of  the  Saviour's  sufferings 
and  death  that  had  been  made  by  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
"  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions.  He  was  bruised 
for  our  iniquities.  He  was  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the 
living."  It  was  a  part  of  this  office  for  the  unconscious 
performance  of  the  Divine  will  that  these  soldiers  dis- 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  IO9 

charged,  when  having  nailed  the  innocent  Redeemer  to 
the  cross,  they  parted  His  raiment,  and  cast  lots. 

But  there  was  another  instrumentality,  and  one  of  a 
very  different  kind.  Who  it  was,  by  whose  hands  that 
seamless  robe  was  woven,  we  cannot  say  positively ; 
but  certain  it  is,  that  those  hands  helped  in  working 
out  God's  plan  as  truly  as  did  the  hands  that  cast  lots 
for  it.  The  correspondence  between  David's  prophecy 
a  thousand  years  old,  in  one  of  its  most  remark- 
able particulars,  and  this  event  which  fulfilled  it  was 
wrought  out  at  the  loom  which  produced  this  coat  with- 
out a  seam,  woven  from  the  top  thoughout.  But  for 
that  agency  there  would  have  been  no  such  exact  agree- 
ment between  the  prophetic  language  of  this  psalm,  ut- 
tered as  the  language  of  the  promised  Messiah,  and  the 
statement  of  the  evangelist,  who  relates  that  which 
happened  under  his  own  eyes,  as  he  stood  near  the  cross 
of  Jesus. 

But  when  I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  of  this 
agency,  which  though  not  distinctly  mentioned  by  the 
evangelist,  is  certainly  implied,  I  may  be  asked  what 
there  is  in  the  fact  that  gives  it  any  special  interest  be- 
yond that  which  belongs  to  the  numberless  other  instances 
of  an  unconscious  human  agency  in  the  carrying  out  of 
God's  designs.  For  all  know  that  the  most  wonderful 
changes  in  human  affairs  have  depended  upon  the  most 
trifling  occurrences,  but  for  which  they  would  not  and 
could  not  have  been  ;  and  that  the  providence  of  God 
has  been  as  much  concerned  in  raising  up  and  directing 
the  persons  instrumental  in  bringing  about  those  slight 
occurrences,  as  in  superintending  the  grand  results  that 
flowed  from  them.  This  thought,  indeed,  would  not  be 
unworthy  of  our  consideration  in  itself ;  and  we  might 


I  lO  SERMONS. 

claim  that  our  text  affords  a  striking  illustration  of  it,  and 
that  the  fact  before  us  does  differ  from  most  other  in- 
stances of  such  an  agency,  in  that  it  relates  to  an  event 
of  such  exceptional  importance  as  the  crucifixion  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Every  circumstance  connected  with 
that  event  has  a  peculiar  interest  ;  and  every  person  who 
took  part  in  it,  even  remotely,  shares  that  interest.  But 
I  think  we  shall  see,  upon  further  inquiry,  that  there  are 
some  special  reasons  for  singling  out  this  one  among  the 
agents  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  in  question,  and 
that  there  are  some  useful  lessons  to  be  learned  from  the 
reference  which  our  text  makes  to  her  work. 

For  it  was  a  woman's  work,  this  weaving  of  the  seam- 
less coat.  Thus  much  we  can  safely  predicate  upon  the 
knowledge  that  we  have  of  Oriental  and  Jewish  customs 
in  ancient  times.  Not  only  from  here  and  there  an  allu- 
sion of  Scripture,  but  also  from  positive  statements,  we 
learn  that  it  usually  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  women  of  a 
household  to  supply  its  members  with  clothing  of  their 
own  manufacture.  Thus  the  virtuous  woman  is  described 
in  the  last  chapter  of  the  book  of  Proverbs  :  "  She  seek- 
eth  wool  and  flax,  and  worketh  willingly  with  her  hands. 
She  layeth  her  hands  to  the  spindle,  and  her  hands  hold 
the  distaff.  She  maketh  fine  linen.  All  her  household 
are  clothed  with  scarlet."  This  practice  was  not  confined 
to  Bible  lands.  Many  illustrations  of  it  might  be  gathered 
from  ancient  history  and  ancient  literature  in  general. 
Alexander  the  Great,  it  is  said,  took  pride  in  showing  to 
his  princely  visitors  the  garments  which  his  mother  had 
made  him.  The  Emperor  Augustus,  who  was  the  con- 
temporary of  our  Lord  in  His  boyhood,  would  wear  no 
clothing  but  such  as  the  members  of  his  own  fam.ily  had 
woven. 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  Ill 

It  was  a  woman's  work,  undoubtedly,  the  weaving  of 
the  seamless  robe  described  in  our  text ;  and  it  was  work 
done  in  the  home  of  Jesus,  and  by  the  hands  of  some  of 
His  own  kinswomen  according  to  the  flesh.  Reaching 
this  conclusion,  we  may  not  have  far  to  go  to  find,  in  all 
probability,  the  person  or  the  persons  by  whom  that 
work  was  wrought.  Turning  our  eyes  away  from  the 
group  of  those  unconscious  agents  of  God's  providence, 
who  are  so  strongly  fulfilling  the  very  letter  of  the  olden 
prophecy,  as  they  throw  the  dice  upon  the  seamless  coat, 
casting  lots  whose  it  should  be — turning  away  from  the 
unseemly  and  shocking  sight,  we  see  another  group  of 
Jesus'  friends.  These  are  not  the  disciples,  for  they, 
upon  the  Saviour's  arrest,  had  all  forsaken  Him  and  fled, 
and  none  of  them  save  John  is  mentioned  as  being  pres- 
ent at  His  crucifixion.  But  they  are  the  women  :  Mary 
Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  and  Joses, 
and  Salome,  and  His  own  mother,  blessed  among  women. 
These,  it  is  said  by  three  of  the  evangelists,  stood  afar 
off  beholding  these  things.  Several  of  them  were  related 
to  the  Saviour  as  of  His  own  kindred.  Matthew  and 
Mark  add  that  they  were  the  women  who,  when  He  was 
in  Galilee,  and  while  He  came  from  Galilee,  ministered 
unto  Him.  And  John,  beyond  a  question,  refers  to  one 
of  the  works  of  kindness  and  love  which  these  friends  of 
Christ  had  wrought  for  Him,  when  he  alone  among  the 
four  evangelists  mentions  the  weaving  and  the  fashioning 
of  the  garment  upon  which  the  soldiers  cast  lots. 

Now  we  will  go  no  further  in  our  conjectures  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  person  who  though  not  named  in  the 
Gospel  account  was  certainly  the  chief  agent  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  extraordinary  prophecy  to  which  we  have 
referred  ;  nor  endeavor  to  establish  the  truth  or  likeli- 


112  SERMONS. 

hood  of  the  early  tradition  that  it  was  Mary,  the  mother 
of  our  Lord,  to  whose  work  our  text  points  ;  a  view 
which,  in  addition  to  its  antecedent  probability,  may  be 
said  to  find  support  in  the  fact  that  the  evangelist  who 
thus  minutely  describes  the  coat  without  seam  is  John, 
the  only  disciple  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  this  transac- 
tion, and  the  disciple  to  whom  the  Saviour  committed 
His  mother,  and  who  may  naturally  be  supposed  to  have 
obtained  from  her  this  information  concerning  its  con- 
struction. We  think  it  enough  to  have  shown  that  this 
work,  so  necessary  to  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  was  the 
work  of  a  friend  of  Jesus.  Her  name  will  never  be 
known  ;  but  this  verse,  which  Inspiration  ordered  to  be 
written  in  the  Gospel,  preserves  her  work  from  being  for- 
gotten. What  she  did  for  Christ,  and  for  Christianity 
too  seems  much  more  worthy  to  be  held  in  remembrance 
than  what  Mary  the  sister  of  Lazarus  did,  when  she 
poured  a  precious  ointment  upon  Him,  anointing,  all  un- 
consciously, His  body  for  burial.  Yet  whilst  the  one  ser- 
vice is  mentioned  in  the  Gospel  as  a  perpetual  memorial 
of  the  disciple  who  performed  it — "  Wheresoever  this 
Gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world,  there  shall 
also  this,  that  this  woman  hath  done,  be  told  for  a  me- 
morial of  her  " — the  other  service  is  mentioned,  very 
conspicuously  indeed,  and  in  connection  with  a  most  ex- 
traordinary and  important  event  in  the  scene  of  the  cru- 
cifixion, but  without  a  hint  as  to  the  person  who  rendered 
it,  save  that  in  its  nature  it  was  a  woman's  work. 

Confining  our  attention  to  this  fact,  we  may  remark 
that  the  work  which  our  text  describes  was  one  of  indus- 
try. The  weaver  stood  at  the  loom,  passing  the  weft 
back  and  forth,  alternately  from  left  to  right,  and  from 
right  to  left,  over   and    under  the  warp-threads,  either 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  II3 

with  the  shuttle  or  with  the  unaided  hand.  Hour  after 
hour  the  tedious  process  was  continued  ;  day  after  day  it 
was  resumed,  and  slowly  the  material  grew  under  the 
steady,  patient  toil.  It  was  an  employment  fitted  to  call 
into  requisition  qualities  of  mind  that  are  far  from  unim- 
portant. The  labor  which  to  a  restless,  ill-regulated 
spirit  would  be  torture,  and  that  to  an  ambitious,  self- 
seeking  spirit  would  be  humiliation,  helped  to  build  up 
the  womanly  character  in  quiet  energy  and  strength  of 
sustained  purpose.  And  it  helped  to  give  to  the  humble 
life  the  seemliness  and  dignity  and  beauty  of  an  active 
usefulness.  In  this  busy  world  nature  itself  cries  shame 
upon  idleness.  A  Jewish  home,  such  as  that  of  Jesus  in 
Nazareth,  was  a  home  of  industry.  The  thoughts,  the 
habits,  the  conversation  of  its  inmates,  were  shaped  by 
the  wise  maxims  of  those  Old  Testament  Scriptures, 
which  have  so  much  to  say  about  diligence  in  business, 
and  about  the  sin  and  disgrace  of  an  idle  and  wasteful 
life.  The  work  which  our  text  mentions  was  a  fruit  of 
this  spirit.  It  was  a  work  of  industry.  And  this  should 
be  true,  my  friends,  of  every  employment  which  God 
lays  to  our  hands.  The  first  condition  of  its  accepta- 
bleness  in  His  sight,  and  of  its  utility  in  promoting  his 
purposes,  is  that  it  be  marked  by  earnest,  hearty,  perse- 
vering effort.  Whatever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it 
with  thy  might.  Let  it  go  down  on  the  page  of  God's 
book  that  records  your  history  of  every  duty  done,  and 
especially  of  every  service  rendered  to  the  cause  of 
Christ,  as  it  went  down  on  the  page  of  the  Gospel  con- 
cerning this  woman's  work,  that  it  was  done  thoroughly. 
In  the  second  place,  it  was  a  labor  of  love.  If,  as  wc 
have  seen,  there  is  every  reason  to  think  that  the  weaving 
of  the  robe  without  seam  was  performed  in  accordance 


114  SERMONS. 

with  the  usage  of  the  times  and  of  the  country  by  some 
near  relative  of  our  Lord,  we  may  be  very  sure  that  the  labor 
of  its  construction  was  a  labor  of  love.  What  an  object 
of  fond  affection  must  the  sinless  Saviour  have  been  to 
the  members  of  that  household  in  Nazareth,  who  had 
seen  Him  grow  up  in  innocence  and  matchless  excel- 
lence, and  in  constant  favor  with  God  and  man  !  What 
delight  must  it  have  been,  even  apart  from  the  considera- 
tion of  His  wonderful,  divine  character,  to  minister  to 
One  so  dear  to  them,  who  had  never  pained  them  by 
word  or  deed,  in  whose  lips  was  ever  the  law  of  kindness, 
and  whose  every  look  must  have  expressed  the  peace  and 
good-will  which  He  brought  down  from  heaven  to  men  ! 
But  there  was  more  than  this  to  draw  their  hearts  to  Him. 
They  knew  Him  to  be  the  Christ.  Mary  had  kept  in  her 
heart  all  the  sayings  that  she  had  heard  concerning  her 
Holy  Son  :  and  while  we  read  that  His  brethren,  or  kins- 
men as  some  understand  it,  did  not  believe  on  Him,  no 
such  statement  is  made  of  His  sisters,  or  remoter  kins- 
women, who  are  mentioned  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Mark 
as  continuing  to  live  in  Nazareth  after  the  public  ministry 
of  our  Lord  had  begun.  Whoever  of  them  performed  this 
labor,  did  it  as  a  labor  of  love.  Those  garments  which  the 
rough  soldiery  are  dividing  among  themselves,  and  espe- 
cially that  robe  for  which  they  are  casting  lots,  were  made 
by  hands  that  took  delight  in  ministering  to  the  pure  and 
gracious  Redeemer.  Some  have  thought  that  the  state- 
ment of  our  text  is  an  evidence  of  this  loving  care.  The 
form  and  make  of  the  robe  were  the  form  and  make  of 
the  clothing  peculiar  to  the  Jewish  priesthood  ;  and  some 
have  thought  it  was  with  reference  to  the  Saviour's  claims 
and  character,  and  to  the  hopes  that  were  cherished  con- 
cerning Him  by  His  friends,  that  this  priestly  garment 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  II5 

was  prepared  for  Him,  though  He  was  not  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi.  However  this  may  be,  we  can  well  believe  that 
loving  and  adoring  thoughts  of  Jesus  entered  into  this 
service  that  was  rendered  Him,  as  the  busy  hands  wove 
the  coat  without  seam,  from  the  top  throughout. 

But  thirdly,  it  was  a  divinely  guided  work.  If  this 
Jewish  woman,  as  she  planned  it,  adjusting  the  loom 
to  the  particular  form  which  she  decided  to  give  the 
garment,  had  had  in  her  memory  or  before  her  eyes 
the  very  words  of  prophecy  written  in  the  twenty-sec- 
ond Psalm,  she  could  not  have  planned  more  ably,  more 
intelligently,  to  aid  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  wonderful 
purpose  of  God.  But  while  only  conscious  of  love  and 
duty,  she  was  under  the  guidance  of  the  Wisdom  that 
cannot  err.  She  was  working  together  with  Him,  whose 
providence  was  ordering  all  events  with  a  view  to  the 
completion  of  that  great  redemptive  scheme  for  which  a 
Saviour  had  come  into  the  world.  What  she  was  doing 
would  help  to  identify  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  the  promised 
Messiah.  While  she  thought  herself  happy  in  minister- 
ing to  His  comfort,  during  His  life  of  benevolence  and 
mercy,  as  He  went  about  doing  good,  God  was  using 
her  to  contribute  to  the  convincing  testimony  concerning 
His  death  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world  ;  forcing 
the  very  soldiers  who  nailed  Him  to  the  cross  to  prove 
Him  the  promised  Saviour  by  casting  lots  upon  His 
vesture. 

But  I  have  said  that  there  are  some  lessons  to  be 
learned  from  the  passage  of  Scripture  before  us;  and 
to  these  I  now  ask  your  attention.     One  is, 

That  it  depends  much  upon  ourselves,  upon  what  we 
are,  and  upon  whose  servants  we  are,  whether  our  habits 
and   employments  appear  to  us  slight  and  insignificant 


Il6  SERMONS. 

and  commonplace,  or  honorable  and  important.  There 
are  persons  who  seem  incapable  of  viewing  or  treating 
any  subject  seriously,  and  who  naturally  look  upon  their 
own  lives  and  actions  as  of  very  little  consequence  to 
themselves  or  to  others.  There  are  persons  in  whom  the 
sense  of  duty  and  of  responsibility  seems  to  be  very 
feeble.  Living  to  please  themselves,  they  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  take  thought  as  to  the  bearing  of  their  conduct 
upon  the  happiness  of  others,  or  upon  its  future  effects 
as  relating  to  themselves.  There  are  others  who,  faith- 
ful and  conscientious  in  their  work,  as  work  done  for  a 
human  master,  do  not  look  beyond  to  a  Master  in 
heaven.  In  the  shop,  in  the  ofifice,  in  home  employments, 
they  are  diligent,  steadfast,  persevering  in  the  round  of 
duties  that  are  often  felt  to  be  pleasureless  and  unprofit- 
able, and  there  are  those  who  draw  some  inspiration  for 
the  labors  of  life  from  an  earthly,  human  love.  The  sat- 
isfaction, the  gladness  often  of  serving  and  of  benefiting 
others,  under  the  prompting  of  natural  affection,  gives 
interest  to  the  humble  occupation,  relieves  the  tedium, 
turns  drudgery  into  privilege,  and  confers  dignity  even 
upon  menial  service. 

But  there  is  a  more  excellent  way.  There  is  a  way  in 
which  the  whole  life  may  be  rescued  from  insignificance, 
and  raised  from  the  level  of  the  commonplace  and  the 
monotonous,  and  brought  into  a  close  relation  with 
things  of  eternal  and  transcendent  interest.  It  is  by  the 
earnest  consecration  of  this  life  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Give  Him  His  rightful  place  as  Lord  of  your  affections 
and  your  powers.  Whatsoever  you  do,  in  word  or  deed, 
do  it  heartily  as  unto  Him,  and  not  unto  men,  and  you 
shall  receive  not  only  the  reward  of  the  inheritance,  a 
future  heavenly  reward,  but   an  immediate  recompense 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM,  II7 

in  the  dignity  and  beauty  and  happiness  that  shall  be  re- 
flected upon  your  present  life,  because  it  is  a  life  conse- 
crated to  Christ. 

How  do  our  works  appear  in  the  light  of  the  Cross  ? 

It  depends  greatly  upon  what  we  ourselves  are,  in  what 
light  we  view  any  work  done  for  the  Saviour.  The  Ro- 
man soldiery  treated  Christ's  vesture,  even  as  they  treated 
His  body,  with  derision  and  indignity.  After  Pilate  had 
sentenced  Him,  they  led  Him  into  the  common  hall,  and 
stripped  Him  of  His  raiment,  and  put  on  Him  a  purple 
robe.  And  when  they  had  mocked  Him  at  their  will, 
they  took  the  robe  off  from  Him,  and  put  His  own  rai- 
ment on  Him,  and  led  Him  away  to  be  crucified.  And 
when  they  had  crucified  Him,  they  parted  His  garments 
among  them,  and  cast  lots  for  His  vesture.  These  things 
the  soldiers  did,  and  did  it  in  brutal  mockery  and  scorn. 
In  what  a  different  light  did  these  things  appear  to  cer- 
tain others  who  beheld  them  ! 

The  friends  of  Christ  looked  on  with  a  mournful,  pity- 
ing interest.  The  inspired  evangelist  recorded  it  as  a 
wonderful  fulfilment  of  prophecy.  The  reader  of  the 
Gospel  is  permitted  to  see  in  this  mention  of  the  seam- 
less robe,  a  reference  to  the  painstaking,  loving  labors  of 
some  unknown  disciple  of  the  Lord.  Thus  entirely  differ- 
ent views  can  be  taken  of  any  work  done  for  Christ.  The 
action  may  be  censured,  as  the  breaking  of  the  box  of 
spikenard,  anointing  Jesus'  feet,  was  censured,  for  its 
wastefulness.  It  may  be  condemned,  as  the  similar  act 
on  another  occasion  was  condemned,  because  performed 
by  one  who  had  been  a  great  sinner.  It  may  be  the  ob- 
ject of  ridicule  and  merriment,  as  the  coat,  woven  with 
such  care,  was  made  the  object  of  the  soldiers'  ridicule. 
How  does  it  become  us  to  regard  any  deed,  any  effort, 


Il8  SERMONS. 

honestly  meant  to  please  and  honor  Christ  ?  Surely 
with  charity,  with  kindliness,  with  consideration,  with  a 
disposition  to  praise  and  not  to  depreciate.  He  is  in  bad 
company  who  makes  light  of  the  humblest  work,  the 
smallest  service,  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  pleased  to 
accept. 

Labors  of  benevolence,  such  as  properly  come  within 
the  ordinary  sphere  of  woman's  work,  have  the  very  clear 
and  express  sanction  of  the  Gospel.  They  are  the  recog- 
nized fruits  of  the  true  Christian  spirit  ;  and  they  are 
valuable  demonstrations  of  the  presence  and  power  of 
that  spirit.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  Apostolic  Church, 
we  find  that  touching  story  of  the  disciple  at  Joppa, 
whose  life  was  full  of  good  works  and  alms-deeds  which 
she  did  ;  and  we  read  how  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days, 
that  she  was  sick  and  died  ;  and  how,  when  Peter  came, 
they  led  him  into  the  upper  chamber  where  she  was  laid, 
and  showed  him  the  coats  and  garments  which  Dorcas 
had  made  while  she  was  with  them.  It  was  the  spirit  of 
the  Gospel  that  prompted  those  labors  of  mercy.  Had 
this  disciple  been  a  follower  of  Jesus,  and  caught  this 
spirit  from  the  Saviour  Himself  when  He  was  on  earth  ; 
or  had  she  breathed  it  from  the  Gospel  as  the  apostles 
preached  after  the  Redeemer's  death  ?  We  do  not  know, 
but  it  was  the  same  Christlike  benevolence  in  either 
case.  It  has  been  imagined  that  Dorcas  may  have  heard 
the  Saviour's  teachings,  and  that  on  some  occasion  she 
may  at  least  have 

"  Stood  on  the  borders  of  the  crowd, 

Listening  as  Jesus  spoke. 
She  saw  the  garment  knit  throughout  ; 

Forgot  the  words  He  spake  ; 
Thought  only  :   Happy  hands  that  wrought 

The  honored  robe  to  make. 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  II9 

Her  eyes  with  longing  tears  grew  dim  ; 

She  never  could  come  nigh 
To  do  one  service  poor  for  Him, 

For  whom  she  glad  would  die. 
Across  the  crowd,  borne  on  the  breeze, 

Comes — Inasmuch  as  ye 
Did  it  unto  the  least  of  these. 

Ye  did  it  unto  me  ! 
Home,  home  she  went,  and  plied  the  loom, 

And  God's  dear  poor  arrayed. 
She  died — they  wept  about  the  room. 

And  showed  the  coats  she  made." 

Love  to  Christ  has  prompted  many  such  deeds  ;  and 
they  are  none  the  less  pleasing  to  Him  because  they  are 
quiet  deeds,  differing  in  no  noticeable  respect  from  the 
ordinary  routine  of  domestic  toil — humble,  obscure,  mo- 
notonous in  the  light  of  the  present,  save  as  the  thought 
of  Jesus  and  of  His  needy  ones  flits  through  the  mind  ; 
and  as  "  Holiness  to  the  Lord  "  was  written  on  the  high- 
priest's  garments,  so  the  thought.  Lord  Jesus  !  this  is  for 
Thee  !  is  woven  into  the  Christian's  work. 

Christ  puts  a  special  honor  upon  those  who  engage  in 
such  labors  of  benevolence  for  His  sake,  by  classing  them 
with  those  friends  of  His  who  ministered  to  His  own 
wants  in  just  such  ways  of  kindness  when  He  was  on 
earth.  He  tells  them  that  in  the  last  great  account  it 
will  be  pronounced  the  same,  to  have  clothed,  and 
nourished,  and  cheered  a  needy  follower  of  His,  and  to 
have  clothed,  and  nourished,  and  cheered  Him.  "Inas- 
much as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these, 
My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me."  Could  there  be 
a  truth  more  beautifully  suited  to  encourage  Christian 
workers  in  what  they  do  to  supply  the  necessities  of 
Christ's  poor,  than  this  assurance  from  His  own  lips, 
that  He  considers  every  such  deed  of  mercy  as  done  to 


120  SERMONS. 

Himself?  Should  labors  like  these  ever  be  suffered  to 
languish  in  a  church  ;  should  it  be  found  difficult  to  enlist 
the  activities  of  disciples  of  the  Saviour  in  efforts  to 
provide  for  the  necessities  of  missionary  families  or  of 
mission  children,  or  to  send  comforts  to  the  sick  in 
hospitals  and  tenement-houses,  where  the  promise  is  to 
those  who,  in  these  and  other  like  ways,  seek  to  do  good 
for  Christ's  sake,  that  they  shall  hear  him  say,  "  I  was 
naked,  and  ye  clothed  Me  ;  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  Me  ; 
I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  to  Me  "  ?  Surely  not ;  and 
yet,  my  friends,  there  is  another  thought  which  might,  it 
seems  to  me,  have  even  greater  power  than  this  in 
prompting  us  to  work  for  Jesus.  It  is  the  thought  that 
our  work  may  be  of  service  in  proving  His  Gospel  to  be 
true.  Must  it  not  have  been  greater  happiness  to  her 
who  wove  the  seamless  robe,  to  know  that  her  work 
would  serve  in  all  coming  ages  to  testify  for  her  dear 
Lord,  to  show  that  this  was  indeed  He  of  whom 
prophets  had  spoken,  the  Son  of  David,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world — He  of  whom  it  had  been  said,  "  They  shall 
look  upon  Him  whom  they  pierced ;  they  shall  part  His 
raiment  among  them,  and  cast  lots  for  His  vesture  " — 
greater  happiness  to  know  this  than  even  to  know  that 
she  had  ministered  to  His  wants  while  He  lived  as  a 
Man  of  Sorrows  here  on  earth?  Certainly  it  must  have 
been.  And  it  should  be  great  joy  to  the  Christian  now, 
and  it  should  have  great  power  to  prompt  him  in  labors 
of  usefulness,  that  these  labors  go  to  prove  the  Gospel 
true.  By  these  shall  all  men  know  that  we  are  His  disci- 
ples. The  work  we  do,  in  the  name  and  in  the  spirit 
of  our  Master,  shall  testify  for  Him,  shall  prove  His 
doctrine  all  divine.  Unostentatious  duties,  like  those 
that  were  done  by  the  Saviour's  friends  when  He  was  on 


THE   COAT  WITHOUT  SEAM.  121 

earth,  simply  to  contribute  to  His  welfare  and  to  please 
Him,  shall  go  to  make  up  the  evidence  of  the  power  of 
the  Gospel  over  human  hearts,  and  its  power  to  bless  the 
world.  They  shall  constitute  one  of  the  grandest  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  the  truth  of  that  Christianity  which 
brings  forth  such  fruits  of  goodness  and  benevolence  and 
love. 

And  the  Christian  needs  this  evidence  to  assure  him  of 
the  reality  of  religion  in  his  own  heart.  It  has  been  said, 
with  great  truth,  that  "there  is  generally  more  of  true 
piety  exhibited  in  a  faithful  observance  of  the  minor 
duties  of  religion,  than  in  those  that  excite  the  notice  and 
applause  of  men.  Improper  motives  may  prompt  to 
public  duties,  while  those  which  escape  men's  eyes,  and 
are  intended  only  for  God's  observation,  are  not  likely  to 
be  practised  by  one  "  who  has  not  felt  the  Saviour's 
love."  Only  piety  toward  God  can  lead  perseveringly 
and  joyfully  to  the  closet,  to  the  house  of  affliction  and 
poverty,  to  the  search  for  opportunities  to  do  good.  The 
child  is  dutiful  who  obeys  a  parent's  request  in  little 
matters,  who  seeks  opportunities  to  please,  and  who 
watches  for  occasions  to  show  his  love.  So  general 
obedience  may  warrant  the  belief  that  a  man  is  a  Chris- 
tian ;  but  he  furnishes  greater  evidence  of  love  to  God, 
whose  heart  overlooks  no  little  thing  that  may  please 
Him  or  glorify  His  name."  May  it  be  so,  dear  brethren, 
with  every  one  of  us  who  bears  that  name !  And  may 
our  subject  lead  each  one  here  present  to  ask  himself, 
*'  Do  my  works,  do  my  daily  employments,  does  the 
tenor  of  my  life  show  that  I  am  living  for  Christ,  living 
to  bless  my  fellow-men?  Will  it  be  said  of  that  chosen 
occupation,  that  scheme  which  chiefly  engrosses  my 
thought,  '  You  did  it  unto  Me  '"  ?     Or  shall  we  hear  the 


122  SERMONS. 

King  say,  when  He  comes  in  His  glory,  of  our  every 
pursuit  and  labor:  "You  did  it  not  to  Me.  I  was  an 
hungered,  and  ye  gave  Me  no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and 
ye  gave  Me  no  drink  ;  I  was  naked,  and  ye  clothed  Me 
not;  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited  Me  not;  My  poor 
needed  your  help,  My  servants  needed  your  support,  the 
instrumentalities  for  the  promotion  of  My  kingdom 
needed  your  aid,  My  work  needed  your  personal  super- 
vision, but  you  took  no  part,  no  worthy,  adequate  part, 
in  the  enterprise.  You  lived  for  self ;  you  lived  for 
the  world  ;  you  did  it  not  to  Me  !  "  God  forbid  that  we 
should  hear  the  King  say  this ! 


IV. 
OBEDIENCE   TO   CHRIST. 

John  ii.  5. 
"  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it." 

Is  there  more  of  sunshine,  or  of  shadow  in  this  world 
of  ours?  Is  there  more  of  gladness,  or  of  trouble  in  the 
life  we  live?  These  questions  would  receive  different 
answers  from  persons  differently  situated  with  reference 
to  climate  and  local  surroundings,  persons  in  different 
circumstances  and  stations,  persons  differently  consti- 
tuted in  point  of  natural  temperament.  Yet  no  peculi- 
arities either  of  constitution  or  of  condition  should  keep 
us  from  perceiving  and  admitting,  that  in  this  world  and 
in  this  life,  while  there  is  much  of  gloom  and  trouble, 
there  is  very  much  too  that  is  favorable  to  cheerfulness 
and  serenity.  And  that  is  not  a  competent  view  of  re- 
ligion, that  connects  it  altogether  or  even  chiefly  with 
our  pensive  and  anxious  times.  We  need  religion  for 
every-day  use ;  and  many  of  our  days,  thanks  to  the 
kind  ordaining  of  our  Heavenly  Father's  good  provi- 
dence, are  bright  days.  It  was  so  in  that  life  which  was 
the  light  of  men,  the  life  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.  It  closed  in  sorrow ;  and  the  three  years  that 
preceded  its  close  were  years  pervaded  greatly  by  sorrow ; 
and  because  this  period,  the  period  of  His  public  minis- 

123 


1 24  SERMONS. 

try,  is  all  of  the  Saviour's  life  on  earth  about  which  we 
have  in  the  Gospel  any  thing  like  a  detailed  account,  we 
think  of  Him  habitually  perhaps  as  a  Man  of  Sorrows, 
acquainted  with  grief,  having  little  to  do  with  human  ex- 
istence save  in  its  mournful  phases  and  its  solemn 
exigencies ;  and  we  do  not  in  imagination  bring  Christ 
into  our  gladness  and  festivity,  our  seasons  of  recreation  ; 
we  scarcely  bring  Him  into  the  light  of  our  tranquil,  un- 
eventful week-day  life,  as  One  of  whom  it  is  natural  and 
proper  to  think  in  connection  with  social  and  domestic 
pleasures,  and  ordinary  commonplace  affairs.  But  this 
is  surely  a  mistake;  and  the  impression  out  of  which 
this  mistake  arises  is  certainly  not  the  impression  that  the 
Gospels  aim  to  give  us  concerning  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
It  results  evidently  from  a  failure  to  take  in  the  whole 
view  which  those  Gospels  present  of  His  incarnate  life. 
Thirty  years  went  before  the  period  of  His  public  minis- 
try;  and  though  little  is  said  about  them  by  the  evangel- 
ists, we  are  not  left  without  hints  that  enable  us  to 
picture  to  ourselves  the  tenor  of  those  years.  The 
happiest  childhood  that  ever  mortal  spent,  was  that  of  the 
sinless  One,  who  grew  up  as  a  tender  plant  in  peaceful 
obscurity  in  Nazareth  in  Galilee.  It  is  written,  He  was 
subject  unto  His  parents;  and  again.  He  waxed  strong 
in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom,  and  the  grace  of  God  was 
upon  Him;  and  again,  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and 
stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man.  These  are  bare 
outlines,  it  is  true,  but  outlines  of  infinite  beauty  and  sig- 
nificance. They  give  us  to  infer  beyond  question  that 
during  all  the  time  that  introduced  His  brief  and 
solemn  mission  as  man's  Redeemer,  Christ  lived  our 
life,  shared  its  common  burdens  and  its  innocent  pleas- 
ures, and  was  our  example  in  contentment,  in   cheerful- 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  125 

ness,  in  approachableness,  in  companionableness,  in  ac- 
commodation to  the  requirements  of  His  earthly  position 
and  surroundings.  And  this  impression  is  certainly 
borne  out  by  the  representation  which  the  Gospel  makes 
of  the  Saviour  at  the  begining  of  His  public  ministry, 
when  just  emerging  from  that  period  about  which  we 
know  so  little.  The  first  miracle  wrought  by  Jesus  shows 
Him  to  us  as  He  was  quitting  the  associations  and  de- 
taching Himself  from  the  ties  of  His  early  life  ;  and  so 
the  story  of  this  miracle  has  an  interest  which  may  be 
likened  to  that  of  the  moment  when  the  sun  is  passing 
out  of  an  eclipse,  and,  as  the  faint  streak  of  the  crescent 
orb  appears,  the  astronomer  is  able  to  analyze  its  light  as 
he  cannot  do  when  the  full  splendors  of  the  sun  are  un- 
veiled. Then  we  read  of  the  wonderful  work  which  the 
Saviour  wrought  in  Cana  of  Galilee :  "This  beginning  of 
miracles  did  Jesus,  .  .  .  and  manifested  forth  His 
glory."  Let  us  dwell  for  a  little  while  upon  the  facts 
concerning  this  miracle  as  we  find  them  recorded  by  St. 
John. 

There  was  a  wedding  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  Jesus  and 
His  disciples  were  among  the  guests.  We  do  not  know 
precisely  where  Cana  was  situated.  Two  places,  not  far 
from  Nazareth,  are  called  by  this  name  at  the  present 
day,  and  there  are  some  reasons  in  favor  of  the  claim  of 
the  one  place,  and  some  in  favor  of  that  of  the  other,  to 
be  regarded  as  the  village  mentioned  in  the  Gospel. 
Both  of  these  places,  however,  lie  in  the  hilly  country 
only  a  few  miles  away  to  the  north  or  the  northeast  from 
our  Saviour's  early  home  ;  and  this  circumstance  of  the 
nearness  of  the  place  makes  it  seem  the  more  probable 
that  the  family  in  which  the  wedding  occurred  may  have 
been  closely  related  to  that  of  Jesus — His  kinsmen  ac- 


1 26  SERMONS. 

cording  to  the  flesh.  Such  relationship  would  account 
not  only  for  Christ's  presence,  but  also  for  that  of  His 
mother  at  the  feast.  "  The  mother  of  Jesus,"  it  is  stated, 
"  was  there,"  and  not,  like  Himself,  by  invitation  ;  but, 
we  may  infer,  as  one  at  home  among  her  kindred,  and 
exercising  a  certain  oversight  in  the  affairs  of  the  house. 
During  the  progress  of  the  simple  festivities  that  followed 
the  marriage,  it  was  found  that  the  supply  of  wine  pro- 
vided for  the  entertainment  was  giving  out.  Perhaps 
the  unexpected  arrival  of  the  friends  who  came  with 
Jesus — the  five  disciples  whom  He  had  lately  called,  and 
who  had  accompanied  Him  on  His  hurried  journey  from 
Judaea  to  Galilee — may  explain  this  failure.  Troubled 
by  the  discovery,  and  anxious  that  no  seeming  lack  of 
hospitality  should  disturb  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion, 
and  expose,  perhaps,  the  poverty  of  the  family,  whose 
means  may  not  have  allowed  them  to  provide  for  more 
than  the  number  of  persons  originally  invited,  the  mother 
of  Jesus  saith  unto  Him  :  "  They  have  no  wine."  It  is 
manifest  that  this  announcement  was  made  with  the  hope 
that  He  would  in  some  way  meet  this  difificulty,  and  save 
her  friends  and  herself  from  dreaded  mortification.  Had 
not  Elijah  and  Elisha  each  in  the  days  of  the  old  proph- 
ets wrought  a  miracle  for  the  relief  of  a  poor  widow, 
multiplying  the  small  portion  of  oil  that  was  all  that  was 
left  in  her  house  ?  Mary  had  not  forgotten  the  wonder- 
ful things  that  were  said  of  her  Son  in  His  infancy,  and 
the  promise  of  His  holy  childhood,  but  had  kept  all  these 
things  and  pondered  them  in  her  heart.  And  now  that 
He  has  reached  the  age  of  thirty — the  age  prescribed  by 
the  law  for  the  beginning  of  a  public  career  in  the  case 
of  those  who  waited  on  the  service  of  the  sanctuary  ;  now 
that  He  has,  after  the  manner  of  a  public  teacher,  sur- 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  12/ 

rounded  Himself  with  a  number  of  disciples,  giving 
Himself  out  as  a  public  teacher,  may  not  the  time  have 
come  when  He  whom  she  secretly  believes  to  be  the  Son 
of  the  Highest  shall  show  forth  His  glory?  And  may 
He  not  do  it  in  this  emergency,  for  the  help  of  these  His 
kindred  and  early  friends,  and  at  her  prayer — a  mother's 
prayer  ? 

Jesus  saith  unto  her :  *'  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do 
with  thee  ?     Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come." 

There  was  something  of  rebuke  in  this  answer,  yet  not 
so  much  of  it  as  we  are  apt  to  think,  for  the  title  given 
to  Mary  was  not  a  harsh  one,  but  one  perfectly  consist- 
ent with  courtesy  and  even  with  tenderness.  Very 
tenderly  did  Jesus  address  His  mother  from  the  cross, 
when  He  said  to  her,  committing  her  to  the  care  of  one 
of  his  disciples  :  "  Woman,  behold  thy  son  !  "  And  it 
was  in  all  gentleness  that,  after  His  resurrection.  He 
spoke  to  Mary  Magdalene  as  she  stood  weeping  at  the 
door  of  the  sepulchre:  **  Woman,  why  weepest  thou? 
whom  seekest  thou  ?  "  So  here  there  was  nothing  of 
harshness  in  the  title  or  address  used.  Yet  in  the  words 
that  follow  there  is  something  of  the  tone  of  reproof. 
Mary  must  learn  that  He  who  till  now  has  been  subject 
to  her  authority,  as  a  son  in  the  home,  is  One  over  whom 
henceforth  she  can  exert  no  such  natural  influence  ;  that 
He  must  pursue  His  work  regardless  of  all  earthly  ties, 
and  unmoved  by  any  appeal  or  dissuasion  on  the  part  of 
those  who  were  His  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh  ;  and 
that  the  exercise  of  his  wonder-working  power  will  be 
timed,  not  by  the  wishes  or  convenience  of  human 
friends,  but  by  the  will  alone  of  His  Father  in  heaven. 
Some  such  meaning  we  must  certainly  read  in  the 
Saviour's   answer :     "  What   have    I    to    do  with   thee  ? 


128  SERMONS. 

What  is  there  in  common  between  Me  and  thee  ?  Mine 
hour  is  not  yet  come." 

His  mother  saith  unto  the  servants  :  "  Whatsoever  He 
saith  unto  you,  do  it." 

There  is  no  trace  here  of  wounded  or  disappointed 
feeling.  Mary  acquiesced  at  once  in  the  will  of  Him 
who  till  now  had  been  submissive  as  a  son  to  her  will. 
Her  only  concern  at  present  is  that  the  plan  He  has  in 
mind,  be  it  what  it  may,  shall  be  faithfully  and  promptly 
executed.     "  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it." 

The  lesson  that  I  find  in  these  words,  and  that  I  wish 
to  bring  before  you,  is  this  :  Thorough  and  unquestion- 
ing obedience  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  claimed  of  us 
in  our  secular  and  social  life,  as  in  our  religious  and  spir- 
itual life. 

Thorough  and  unquestioning  obedience  was  expected 
as  the  condition  of  all  blessing  in  the  case  of  those  who 
sought  Christ's  help  when  He  was  on  earth — His  help  to 
deliver  from  sorrow  and  suffering.  Often  this  obedience 
was  demanded  before  the  help  was  given.  A  nobleman 
of  Herod's  court  came  to  Jesus  beseeching  Him  that  He 
would  accompany  him  down  to  his  house,  where  his  son 
lay  at  the  point  of  death.  Jesus  saith  unto  him  :  "  Go 
thy  way  ;  thy  son  liveth."  And  the  man  believed  the 
word  that  Jesus  had  spoken  unto  him,  and  he  went  his 
way.  "  Rise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk,"  said  the 
Lord  to  the  friendless  cripple  lying  at  Bethesda's  pool. 
And  immediately  the  man  was  made  whole,  and  took  up 
his  bed  and  walked.  "  Stand  forth,"  was  the  word  to 
one  that  had  a  withered  hand  ;  and  when  the  man  rose 
and  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  crowded  synagogue, 
"  Stretch  forth  thine  hand,"  said  Jesus  ;  and  he  stretched 
it  forth,  and  it  was  restored  whole  like  the  other.    Again^ 


OBEDIENCE  TO    CHRIST.  1 29 

there  are  miracles  in  which  this  obedience  comes  to  view 
in  the  sequel  of  the  work  of  healing,  though  doubtless 
the  Saviour  saw  the  readiness  to  obey  in  the  heart  of  the 
sufferer  before  He  healed  him.  "  Return  to  thine  own 
house,"  said  He  to  the  demoniac  in  the  country  of  the 
Gadarenes  :  "  Go  home  to  thy  friends,  and  tell  them  how 
great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and  hath  had 
compassion  on  thee."  And  he  departed,  and  began  to 
publish  in  Decapolis  how  great  things  Jesus  had  done  for 
him.  And  again,  sometimes  the  miracle  was  performed 
in  such  a  way  as  to  call  forth  into  expression  this  spirit 
of  obedience,  and  give  it  exercise,  and  strengthen  it,  and 
illustrate  it,  as  when  a  centurion  sent  to  Jesus  begging 
that  He  would  come  and  heal  his  servant  ;  and  then,  as 
the  Master  drew  near,  and  was  now  not  far  from  the 
house,  he  sent  again  to  countermand,  or  rather  to  modify 
his  former  request,  begging  Him  not  to  come,  that  were 
too  great  trouble  for  Him  to  take,  and  too  much  honor 
for  the  petitioner  to  receive ;  but  "  Speak — speak  the 
word  only,  say  in  a  word — and  my  servant  shall  be 
healed.  For  I  myself  know  what  it  is  to  command  and 
be  obeyed.  I  have  under  me  soldiers,  and  I  say  unto 
one,  Go,  and  he  goeth,  and  to  another.  Come,  and  he 
Cometh,  and  to  my  servant.  Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it ; — 
and  Thou  !  Thou  !  hast  all  power — legions  of  angels 
hasten,  and  hosts  of  devils  flee  at  Thy  bidding  ;  and  all 
the  forces  of  disease,  and  death  itself,  are  subject  to 
Thy  wonder-working  word.  Therefore  speak  the  word 
only,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed." 

Now  the  thorough  and  unquestioning  obedience  of 
which  we  have  the  striking  examples  in  these  cases, 
where  men  came  to  Christ  in  their  troubles  and  dis- 
tresses, is  just  the  obedience  that  we  should  seek  to 


130  SERMONS. 

render  to  Him  in  our  daily  lives,  and  not  less  in  the 
midst  of  social  and  domestic  happiness,  and  in  the  quiet 
enjoyment  of  that  elevating  and  restful  communion  with 
nature  which  it  is  our  privilege  to  have  in  this  world  of 
wonderful  beauty,  than  in  our  times  of  suffering  and  sor- 
row, and  in  our  serious  and  religious  hours.  Let  us  en- 
deavor, my  brethren,  to  realize  these  two  things  :  first, 
that  Christ  is  actually  with  us  at  such  times  ;  and  sec- 
ondly, that  He  is  present  to  command,  and  to  be  obeyed. 
It  is  very  significant  that  the  beginning  of  our  Saviour's 
miracles  should  have  occurred  in  a  scene  of  domestic  and 
social  rejoicing;  and  it  is  very  impressive  to  read,  in  con- 
nection with  that  scene,  this  precept  of  our  text,  this  re- 
quirement of  a  thorough  and  unquestioning  obedience  : 
"  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it."  Let  us  seek  to 
have  a  sense,  habitual  and  deepening,  of  the  nearness  of 
God  while  we  behold  His  works  ;  and  of  the  nearness  of 
God,  in  His  tender  interest  and  willingness  to  bless,  while 
we  associate  with  our  fellow-creatures.  His  children,  in  the 
intimacies  of  the  home  and  in  the  fellowship  of  friends. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  realize  the  presence  of  God  when  we 
are  alone,  in  secret  and  absorbed  communion  with  the 
Father  of  our  spirits  ;  and  solitude  and  seclusion  seem 
necessary  in  order  to  certain  exercises  of  devotion  : 

"  The  calm  retreat,  the  silent  shade, 
With  prayer  and  praise  agree." 

But  it  is  important  also  that  we  should  have  a  sense  of 
the  Divine  presence  and  favor  when  mingling  with  our 
fellow-men,  and  especially  with  our  fellow  disciples,  and 
that  our  mingling  with  them  should  have  the  effect,  not 
to  separate  us  from  Him,  but  to  draw  us  and  them  the 
closer  to  Him.     Now  the  religion  of  the  Gospel  is  meant 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  I3I 

and  fitted  to  promote  this  end.  It  is  a  social  religion. 
Its  holiest  ordinance  let  us  remember,  was  instituted  as  a 
social  ordinance.  Its  largest  blessings  are  for  those  who 
meet  together  in  the  Master's  name.  Its  most  heavenly- 
joys  are  to  be  tasted  in  the  communion  of  saints.  It 
teaches  us  to  cherish  a  lively  interest  in  the  good  of  our 
fellow-men.  It  bids  us  share  in  the  happiness  and  in  the 
sorrow  of  others  :  "  Rejoice  with  them  that  do  rejoice,  and 
weep  with  them  that  weep."  Its  divine  Founder  was  not 
a  recluse,  an  ascetic,  indifferent  to  the  loveliness  of  nature, 
and  shunning  the  societies  of  men.  John  came  preaching 
in  the  wilderness,  and  sternly  rebuking  the  follies  of  his  age 
by  a  singular  departure  from  its  social  customs,  "  neither 
eating  nor  drinking  "  like  others  and  with  others  ;  but  the 
Son  of  Man  came  eating  and  drinking,  subsisting  on  or- 
dinary food,  associating  freely  with  all  classes  of  people, 
and  finding  pleasure  and  satisfaction  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  all  things  beautiful  that  His  Father's  hand  had 
made.  He  noticed  the  lilies  of  the  field,  and  the  birds 
of  the  air.  He  watched  the  face  of  the  heavens,  and 
read  their  portents :  the  reddening  sky  that  promised 
fair  weather;  the  cloud  rising  out  of  the  west  betokening 
rain ;  and  He  drew  lessons  for  His  followers,  and  for  the 
multitudes,  from  the  sights  that  were  familiar  to  Him  as 
to  them,  in  the  villages  and  in  the  country — the  children 
at  their  games  in  the  market-place,  the  men  standing 
there  idle  waiting  to  be  hired,  the  women  grinding  at  the 
mill,  the  shepherd  leading  forth  his  flock  to  pasture,  the 
sower  scattering  seeds  over  the  ploughed  ground,  the 
laborer  loosing  his  beast  from  the  stall  and  leading  him 
away  to  watering,  the  reapers  in  the  harvest-field,  the 
fishermen  drawing  their  nets  to  the  shore.  And  one  im- 
portant use  that  we  are  to  make  of  this  Gospel  story,  so 


132  SERMONS. 

rich  in  details  concerning  the  Saviour's  earthly  life,  is  to 
realize  its  actuality,  and  learn  to  believe  and  feel  that  He 
who  thus  lived  our  life  is  eternally  present  with  us,  and 
unchangeably  interested  in  our  human  existence. 

"  This  earth  He  trod, 
To  teach  us,  He  is  ever  nigh." 

To  enjoy  the  beautiful  in  nature,  and  to  participate  in 
scenes  of  innocent,  social,  and  domestic  pleasure,  with 
this  delightful  truth  in  mind,  is  to  make  our  lives 
thoroughly  and  harmoniously  religious.  In  the  light  of 
this  beginning  of  miracles,  which  shows  us  our  Saviour  as 
graciously  present  and  participant  in  the  society  of  kin- 
dred and  friends,  let  us  see  what  is  the  effect  that  pure 
and  undefiled  religion  ought  to  have  upon  us  at  all  times. 
It  should  influence  us  to  act  as  if  Christ  were  a  constant 
and  supremely  welcome  Guest  in  our  homes,  a  constant 
and  welcome  Companion  in  all  our  ways.  We  may  apply 
to  our  seasons  of  social  converse  the  counsel  that  a  quaint 
writer  gives  with  reference  to  all  the  employments  of  our 
daily  lives.  "  Do,"  says  he,  "  as  little  children  do,  who 
with  one  hand  hold  fast  by  their  father,  and  with  the 
other  gather  flowers  or  berries  along  the  hedges ;  so  you^ 
gathering  and  managing  with  one  hand  the  things  of 
this  world,  must  with  the  other  always  hold  fast  the  hand 
of  your  Heavenly  Father,  turning  yourself  towards  Him 
from  time  to  time,  to  see  if  your  actions  or  occupations 
be  pleasing  to  Him  ;  but  above  all  things  take  heed  that 
you  never  let  go  His  protecting  hand,  thinking  to  gather 
more;  for  should  He  forsake  you,  you  will  not  be  able 
to  go  a  step  without  falling  to  the  ground." 

This  then  is  our  first  thought.  Let  it  be  our  endeavor 
and  our  prayer  that  we  may  be  alive  to  the  nearness  of 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  1 33 

God,  in  our  times  of  cheerfulness  and  peace,  even  as  in 
our  troubled  and  sorrowful  times.  As  word  went  through 
the  happy  company  in  Cana,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth  has 
come,"  so,  though  our  eyes  be  holden,  let  our  faith  assure 
itself,  whether  among  few  or  among  many,  in  the  house 
or  in  the  fields,  The  Lord  is  here.  The  Son  of  God,  by 
whom  He  made  the  world,  is  present  in  the  midst  of  His 
works,  upholding  all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power. 
The  Son  of  Man,  whose  first  miracle  displays  Him  a  kins- 
man among  kindred,  a  friend  among  friends,  solicitous 
for  the  comfort  of  a  family  and  the  innocent  enjoyments 
of  the  guests,  and  who  but  a  little  time  before  He  left 
this  earth  walked  with  two  of  his  disciples  in  social  con- 
verse, though  they  knew  Him  not,  is  with  us  now.  Oh, 
let  me  realize  His  sanctifying,  calming,  gladdening,  inspir- 
ing presence ! 

"  When  round  Thy  wondrous  works  below 
My  searching,  rapturous  glance  I  throw, 
Tracing  out  wisdom,  power,  and  love. 
In  earth  or  sky,  in  stream  or  grove  ; — 
j^When  with  dear  friends  sweet  talk  I  hold, 
And  all  the  flowers  of  life  unfold  : — 
Let  not  my  heart  within  me  burn, 
Except  in  all  I  Thee  discern." 

And  then  our  second  thought  is,  Christ  is  present  to 
command,  and  to  be  obeyed.  We  are  not  more  in  dan- 
ger of  forgetting  or  failing  to  realize  His  presence,  than 
we  are  of  forgetting  our  duty  always  and  in  every  place 
to  do  His  will.  And  what  we  need  most  in  order  to  ap- 
prehend the  blessed  fact  that  He  is  in  the  midst  of  us,  is 
to  remember  the  simple  rule,  "  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto 
you,  do  it."  Retirement,  meditation,  prayer,  help  us  to 
find  nearness  to  God,  and  to  find  happiness  and  rest  in 


1 34  SERMONS. 

that  nearness ;  but  when  we  are  in  company  with  others, 
in  the  circle  of  friendship,  and  even  amid  social  festivities, 
it  is  possible  to  live  as  in  His  sight,  it  is  possible  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  it  is  possible  to  have  it  as  of  old 
it  was  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  when  "both  Jesus  was  called 
and  His  disciples,"  to  the  feast.  And  this  let  us  ob- 
serve, not  as  the  result  of  pious  musings  and  mystic 
imaginings,  but  as  the  effect  of  simple,  practical,  hearty 
obedience.  We  realize  Christ's  presence  in  our  holiest 
hours,  even  at  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  we  endeavor  in 
humble  obedience  and  in  the  spirit  of  faith  to  fulfil  one 
of  His  commands  :  "  This  do,  in  remembrance  of  Me." 
And  we  shall  best  be  enabled  to  commune  with  him  in 
nature,  and  amid  human  societies,  in  hours  that  shall 
thus  too  be  made  holy,  when  we  study,  as  seeing  Him 
who  is  invisible,  to  please  a  Master  whose  authority 
reaches  us  and  whose  blessing  attends  us  everywhere. 

Such  obedience,  I  remark,  brings  us  into  fellowship 
with  Christ.  The  apostle  Paul  desired  to  know  the  fel- 
lowship of  his  Master's  sufferings  ;  and  even  so,  we  may  be 
brought  through  obedience,  in  our  times  of  quietness  and 
of  gladness,  into  fellowship  with  His  pure  and  holy  char- 
acter as  it  shone  forth  in  scenes  of  rejoicing.  Obedience 
brings  us  into  conformity  with  Christ.  In  all  the  days  of 
His  earthly  life  that  went  before  His  public  ministry  and 
His  passion,  our  Lord  was  obedient.  To  the  very  end, 
He  obeyed  His  Heavenly  Father,  and  found  His  happi- 
ness in  that  obedience.  "  I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  O 
My  God,"  He  cried  ;  "yea.  Thy  law  is  within  My  heart." 
But  up  to  the  moment  of  the  working  of  this  first  miracle. 
He  was  subject  to  an  earthly  parent ;  and  who  can  doubt 
that  it  was  His  happiness  to  fulfil  this  obligation  that 
rested  upon  Him  as  the  Son  of  Man  ?     For  if  it  is  hu- 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  1 35 

man,  in  the  sense  that  holds  true  of  humanity  as  it  is, — 
human  to  desire  and  to  take  satisfaction  in  the  exercise 
of  authority,  the  right  to  command  and  exact  obedience, 
it  is  also  human  in  the  best  sense,  the  sense  that  might 
hold  true  of  an  unfallen  humanity,  to  take  satisfaction 
in  thorough  and  unquestioning  obedience — obedience  to 
the  supreme  and  righteous  law.  Such  a  feeling  has  some- 
times appeared  in  men  who  were  far  from  perfect,  yet 
possessed  in  some  respects  an  exceptional  nobleness  of 
character.  It  was  said  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  by 
one  who  knew  him  long  and  intimately,  that  "  he  had 
more  pride  in  obeying  than  in  commanding  ;  and  he 
never  for  a  moment  considered  that  his  great  position 
and  elevation  above  all  other  subjects  released  him  from 
the  same  obligation  which  the  humblest  of  them  acknowl- 
edged " — the  obligation  to  fulfil  the  will  of  the  sovereign 
and  the  state.  My  brethren,  it  will  enhance  all  other 
happiness  for  us,  and  it  will  bring  us  into  blessed  near- 
ness to  our  Lord,  diligently  and  attentively  to  seek,  amid 
the  brighter  and  the  gayer,  as  well  as  amid  the  darker 
and  sadder  experiences  of  our  lives,  "  whatsoever  He 
saith  unto  us,  to  do  it." 

To  do  it — the  duty  of  the  hour,  the  duty  of  the  occa- 
sion. To  rejoice  with  them  that  do  rejoice.  To  promote 
unselfishly  the  innocent  and  healthy  happiness  of  others. 
To  use  the  good  things  of  this  world  as  not  abusing 
them.  To  honor  God,  whose  servants  we  are,  by  a 
blameless  and  a  consistent  conduct  before  men.  To 
sweeten  and  to  sanctify  earthly  bliss  by  associating  it 
in  our  own  thoughts  and,  as  we  may  have  opportunity, 
in  the  thoughts  of  others  with  the  heavenly  bliss.  To 
avoid  the  sins  that  may  more  easily  beset  us  in  our  times 
of  social  converse  and  relaxation — the  sins  of  levity,  ir- 


136  SERMONS. 

reverence,  uncharitableness,  immoderate  participation  in 
pleasure.  Christ  at  the  feast  in  Cana  did  much  to  aug- 
ment the  comfort  and  enjoyment  of  His  friends,  much  to 
prevent  the  marring  of  their  happiness  by  a  public  morti- 
fication in  the  failure  of  the  things  provided  for  the  feast 
to  hold  out ;  but  He  did  nothing  to  promote  excess  and 
folly.  At  His  command,  and  by  the  exercise  of  His 
miraculous  power,  water  was  turned  into  wine,  that 
there  should  be  enough  for  the  guests ;  but  this  use 
of  wine,  in  a  country  where  the  population  were  pro- 
verbially temperate,  and  where  other  wholesome  bev- 
erages were  unknown,  affords  no  warrant  to  men  in  a 
country  like  ours,  where  strong  drink  is  a  national  curse, 
where  even  the  moderate  use  of  that  which  intoxicates 
only  too  often  makes  a  brother  to  offend  for  whom  Christ 
died — does  deadly  harm  to  others  whom  the  example  en- 
courages in  a  habit  destructive  to  the  body  and  the  soul 
— no  warrant  for  the  use  of  strong  drink ;  and  certainly 
constitutes  no  reason  why  the  Christian  should  not  re- 
nounce the  mdulgence  for  the  sake  of  avoiding  injury 
to  others. 

The  lesson  which  Christ's  example  does  teach,  and 
with  which  His  commands  do  all  agree,  is  that  of  kind- 
ness, helpfulness,  tender  consideration  for  even  the 
momentary  welfare — how  much  more  for  the  permanent 
and  eternal  welfare — of  others.  Dear  friends,  let  us  lay 
this  lesson  to  heart ;  and  seeking  to  have  Him  always 
with  us,  let  us  strive,  whatsoever  He  saith  to  us,  by  His 
Word  and  Spirit,  to  do  it.  Doing  all  things  in  His  name. 
Doing  all  things  to  His  glory.  And  so,  as  much  in  our 
times  of  health  and  cheerfulness  as  in  our  times  of  pain 
and  grief,  we  shall  be  training  and  preparing  for  that 
glorious  world  and  that  blessed  life,  where,  with  angels 


OBEDIENCE  TO   CHRIST.  1 37 

that  excel  in  strength,  we  shall  find  our  perfect  bliss  in 
doing  His  commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of 
His  word. 

But  already,  dear  friends,  there  is  a  happiness  in  this 
service  which  does  not  wait  for  heaven.  Obedience  to 
Christ  in  our  prosperous  times  secures  a  blessing  that  en- 
hances all  other  good.  As  in  the  after-glow  of  a  glorious 
sunset  we  have  seen  the  splendor  fall  upon  the  mountain 
slopes  and  summits,  tinging  not  only  the  sterile  crag,  and 
giving  brilliancy  to  that  which  was  forbidding,  but  light- 
ing up  also  the  wooded  heights  and  valleys,  adding  beauty 
to  that  which  was  beautiful  before ;  so  shall  we  find  that 
living  in  the  light  of  His  countenance,  whom,  having  not 
seen,  we  love,  in  whom,  though  now  we  see  Him  not, 
yet,  believing,  we  rejoice.  His  favors  shall  be  our  chief 
joy.  Oh,  yes  !  Obedience  to  Christ  brings  a  rich  present 
reward.  It  has  satisfactions  that  far  exceed  all  natural 
gladness.  As  in  the  miracle  before  us,  there  are  won- 
drous transmutations  wrought  for  him  who  hears  the 
Master's  bidding  to  do  it.  Ordinary  duties  give  occasion 
for  the  display  of  a  willing  mind,  and  an  earnest  purpose 
to  please  and  glorify  the  Lord.  The  action  takes  its  im- 
portance from  the  motive  which  inspires  it,  the  thought 
that  runs  through  it.  As  in  our  relations  to  our  fellow- 
men,  a  worthy  feeling — love,  pity,  generosity — can  make 
the  simplest  deed  significant  of  good-will  and  helpfulness, 
so,  and  much  more,  in  our  relation  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  cup  of  cold  water  given  in  His  name  to  a 
disciple  of  His  shall  not  lose  its  reward. 

The  opportunity  improved  to  do  good  to  others,  to  con- 
quer the  evil  that  is  in  ourselves,  to  please  Him  who 
sees  the  silent,  inward  struggle  with  temper,  with  selfish- 
ness, with  discontent,  with  unbelief,  shall  meet  His  ap- 


138  SERMONS. 

proval,  and  we  shall  hear  him  say  :  "  Ye  are  my  friends," 
when  we  do  whatsoever  He  hath  said  unto  us. 

How  comprehensive  and  all-sufficient  is  this  religion  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  !  The  solace  of  our  troubles,  it  is 
the  glory  of  our  brightest  days.  Let  our  love  and  grati- 
tude go  forth  afresh  to  that  divine  Saviour  who  has  re- 
vealed Himself  to  us  as  the  Partner  of  our  earthly  joys, 
and  our  support  in  trial  and  adversity,  our  Keeper  ;  who 
leadeth  us  by  the  side  of  the  still  waters  in  green  past- 
ures, and  who  will  be  with  us  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death. 

Let  us  hasten,  in  our  gladness  and  grateful  love  to  Him^ 
whatsoever  He  saith  unto  us,  to  do. 


V. 

BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK. 

Matthew  v.  5. 
"  Blessed  are  the  meek  :  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth," 

Meekness  has  been  defined  as  a  temper  of  mind  not 
easily  moved  to  resentment.  It  is  a  quality  that  comes 
to  view  under  conditions  suited  to  disturb  and  irritate, 
or  to  depress  and  mortify  the  feelings.  It  is  a  reasona- 
ble and  benignant  disposition,  raising  the  soul  above  the 
brutal  impulses  of  rage  and  revenge,  and  producing 
habitual  self-control.  It  is  a  quahty  ennobling  to  the 
individual  man,  and  humanizing  to  mankind  at  large. 
Meekness  is  the  very  soul  of  a  true  civilization.  It  stands 
diametrically  opposed  to  those  qualities  that  especially 
constitute  barbarism — the  fierce  and  cruel  spirit  that 
breathes  hatred,  and  prompts  to  deeds  of  violence  and 
lawlessness — the  spirit  of  arrogant  self-assertion  and  dis- 
regard for  the  interests  and  the  rights  of  the  weak.  And 
while  on  the  one  hand  it  prevents  these  outbreaks  of 
selfishness  in  those  who  have  the  power  to  inflict  wrong, 
on  the  other  hand  it  blesses  those  who  suffer  hardship. 
Meekness  supports  the  soul,  and  keeps  it  in  poise  and 
self-centred  under  reproach,  under  reproof,  under  con- 
straint, under  command,  under  discipline,  under  the  trial, 
whatever  its  character  or  degree,  of  a  realized  inferiority. 

139 


I40  SERMONS. 

It  was  upon  the  possessors  of  this  quality  that  our 
Lord  pronounced  His  third  Beatitude  :  "  Blessed  are  the 
meek :  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth."  This  we  may 
well  believe  was  a  statement  surprising  to  some  at  least 
of  those  who  first  heard  it  ;  and  we  ourselves,  who  are 
very  familiar  with  it,  and  accustomed  to  accept  it  as  a 
simple  and  beautiful  saying,  have  only  to  consider  its 
meaning  somewhat  closely  to  find  it  a  striking  and  even 
a  startling  one.  Each  one  of  the  Beatitudes,  in  fact,  is  a 
paradox,  a  seeming  contradiction.  It  is  such  to  our 
minds  ;  much  more  must  it  have  been  this  to  the  minds 
of  men  in  the  dawn  of  Christianity.  Those  eight  sayings 
of  Christ  with  which  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  begins, 
are  often  compared  or  contrasted  with  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments. The  Beatitudes  are  blessings  pronounced 
upon  the  lowly  virtues  ;  and  they  are  wafted  to  us  with 
infinite  sweetness  and  gentleness  from  the  Saviour's  lips. 
How  different  the  sound  of  these  divine  sentences,  that 
fell  like  music  on  the  ears  of  the  disciples,  gathered  be- 
fore the  Master  on  the  mountain  side  in  Galilee,  and  that 
reached  the  multitudes  who  pressed  around  them,  eager 
to  share  in  His  gracious  teachings  ;  from  the  sound  of 
those  other  divine  sentences,  the  Ten  Commandments, 
uttered  from  Sinai,  with  such  awful  impressiveness  that 
the  trembling  people  removed  from  the  base  of  the 
mountain  and  stood  afar  off  !  The  Beatitudes  are  bless- 
ings, promises,  while  the  Ten  Commandments  are  solemn 
warnings.  The  Beatitudes  have  to  do  with  those  whose 
state  of  heart  and  manner  of  conduct  are  approved  of 
God — the  humble,  the  penitent,  the  meek,  the  merciful, 
the  pure  in  heart  ;  the  Ten  Commandments  have  to  do 
with  transgression.  But  in  all  the  Ten  Commandments 
there  is  not  a  single  paradox.     Not  one  of  those  prohibi- 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  I4I 

tions  involves  a  seeming  contradiction.  The  law  forbids 
sin.  For  every  transgression  there  is  a  just  recompense 
of  reward — a  penalty  implied.  But  in  the  Beatitudes 
each  blessing  is  a  surprise — a  glad  surprise  to  a  mind  in 
sympathy  with  the  qualities  here  commended  ;  but  a 
strange  and  an  incongruous  statement  to  one  that  is  not 
in  sympathy  with  them. 

Thus  in  declaring  the  blessedness  of  the  meek,  our 
Lord  added:  ''  For  they  shall  inherit  the  earth."  Here, 
to  begin  with,  there  is  an  incongruity  to  some  minds  in  the 
mention  of  meekness,  as  a  trait  of  character  to  be  admired 
and  praised.  Men  do  not  commonly  admire  and  praise  a 
quality  which  means  uncomplaining  submission  to  in- 
jury, freedom  from  resentment  while  enduring  wrong. 
So  far  from  being  commended,  this  trait  is  one  that  is 
very  commonly  held  up  to  contempt.  A  meek  man,  in 
the  esteem  of  the  world,  is  a  spiritless,  cringing,  cow- 
ardly creature,  the  farthest  remove  from  that  which  is 
manly  and  noble.  This  impression  may  be  accounted 
for  in  a  twofold  way.  First,  men  mistake  this  virtue  for 
its  counterfeit.  Meekness  is  not  pusillanimity,  mean- 
ness. It  is  the  disposition,  not  of  him  who  lacks  the 
courage  to  avenge  an  injury,  but  of  him  whom  the  fear  of 
God  moves  and  the  grace  of  God  enables  to  rule  his  own 
heart,  repressing  the  rising  impulse  of  vindictiveness, 
and  giving  scope  to  the  better  feelings  of  sorrow,  pity, 
forgiveness.  The  affectation  of  this  virtue  is  indeed 
worthy  of  all  contempt.  The  endeavor  to  seem  indiffer- 
ent to  slight  and  injury,  that  he  may  ingratiate  himself 
into  the  favor  and  confidence  of  others,  is  the  part  of 
a  hypocrite,  who  richly  deserves  all  the  scorn  he  gains. 
But  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  be- 
tween this  pretense  of  meekness,  assumed  for  some  base 


142  SERMONS. 

end,  as  a  mask  behind  which  covetousness  or  ambition 
or  designing  wickedness  of  some  other  kind  hides  its 
hateful  features,  and  the  quality  of  which  our  Saviour 
speaks  here.  True  meekness  is  a  self-forgetful  virtue. 
It  is  a  disinterested  grace.  It  bears  injustice,  not  neces- 
sarily without  resistance,  but  without  the  loss  of  self-pos- 
session, and  without  a  storm  of  violent  emotion,  whether 
smouldering  in  the  breast  or  bursting  forth  in  ungoverna- 
ble passion.  It  is  in  a  certain  sense  a  passive  virtue,  yet 
endued  with  a  wondrous  force  to  steady  and  strengthen 
and  pacify  the  soul,  and  manifestly  entitled  by  reason  of 
this  power  to  the  sincerest  respect  of  mankind. 

But  a  second  reason  for  the  disfavor  with  which  men 
commonly  regard  this  quality,  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  meekness,  even  though  unmistakably  genuine  and 
sincere,  stands  opposed  to  much  that  is  native  to  the 
human  heart.  We  do  not  incline  by  nature  to  submis- 
sion under  trial,  and  calmness  under  provocation  ;  and, 
though  we  are  not  incapable  of  perceiving  the  excellence 
of  a  submissive  and  forgiving  spirit,  yet  the  virtue  that 
differs  so  greatly  from  the  prevailing  sentiment  and  tem- 
per is  likely  to  be  an  unpopular  virtue.  We  grant  the 
truth  of  the  Wise  Man's  saying  :  "  Better  it  is  to  be  of 
an  humble  spirit  with  the  lowly,  than  to  divide  the  spoil 
with  the  proud  "  ;  yet  the  rewards  of  humility  have  less 
attraction  for  us  than  the  treasures  of  pride.  We  grant 
that  "  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty, 
and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh  a  city  " ; 
yet,  somehow,  the  victories  we  dream  of  and  love  to  read 
of  are  the  achievements  of  the  iron  will  and  the  unbend- 
ing purpose.  The  heroes  of  our  imagination  are  the 
men  who  take  cities  rather  than  the  men  who  aim  at  the 
conquest  of  themselves. 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  I43 

And  yet,  my  brethren,  men  are  not  slow  to  perceive 
the  fitness  and  the  beauty  of  this  quality  as  it  reveals 
itself  in  certain  natures  and  in  certain  situations  in 
life.  Few  parents  are  so  unwise  as  to  command  and 
encourage  in  their  children  a  self-asserting  disposition, 
quick  to  rise  up  against  authority,  and  meet  rebuke  with 
retort  and  defiance.  Meekness  is  deemed  becoming  in  a 
child.  It  is  deemed  becoming  in  those  who  do  service 
to  others.  No  fault  is  more  severely  condemned  in  men 
and  women  who  are  engaged  in  domestic  labor,  than  the 
sensitiveness  that  will  not  brook  reproof,  the  petulance 
that  betrays  itself,  if  not  in  angry  words,  in  displeased 
looks  and  curt  and  sharp  tones,  when  the  will  is  crossed 
or  the  feelings  are  wounded.  Meekness  is  in  place  here. 
The  most  arrogant  and  exacting  employer  will  read  ap- 
provingly the  exhortation  which  the  Bible  addresses  to 
*'  servants  to  be  obedient  and  well-pleasing,  not  answer- 
ing again."  The  subordinate  in  commercial  life,  the 
government  employ^,  the  soldier,  is  expected  to  have 
this  grace  in  exercise.  If  the  third  Beatitude  could  be 
understood  as  applying  exclusively  to  those  whose  posi- 
tion is  such  as  to  make  it  for  their  interest  that  they 
should  maintain  a  calm  and  quiet  demeanor  while  exe- 
cuting the  command  of  others,  and  even  cherish  an  un- 
rufifled  and  contented  spirit  beneath  this  outward  appear- 
ance, doubtless  all  would  join  in  saying:  "Blessed  are 
the  meek.  Happy  they  who  can  do  this  !  It  is  a  neces- 
sity of  their  condition  ;  and  they  may  well  make  a  virtue 
of  the  necessity." 

But  if  it  be  a  mistake  to  confound  meekness  with  its 
semblance,  the  mildness  that  comes  from  lack  of  courage, 
or  the  servility  that  affects  mildness  in  order  to  reach 
some  selfish  end,  it  is  equally  a  mistake,  while  distin- 


144  SERMONS. 

guishing  this  grace  from  that  counterfeit,  and  granting 
its  excellence,  to  regard  it  as  a  quality  more  becoming  to 
some  than  to  others,  more  necessary  in  some  than  in 
others.  We  expect  meekness  in  some ;  we  require  it  in 
some  ;  in  others,  its  absence  appears  to  us  excusable  and 
even  natural.  Perhaps  we  fail  to  realize  that  we  have 
any  need  to  possess  it  and  to  display  it  ourselves.  Let 
the  youth  pass,  with  the  flight  of  years,  from  a  condition 
of  restraint,  as  one  under  authority,  to  a  position  of 
manly  or  womanly  independence.  Let  the  apprentice  or 
the  clerk,  in  the  changes  of  fortune,  find  himself  in  the 
place  of  the  employer,  the  poor  man  in  the  position 
of  the  rich,  and  the  pressure  under  which  the  lowly 
grace  of  meekness  flourished  is  removed.  And  now 
you  look  for  growths  of  a  different  kind  at  the  new 
altitude.  Set  free  from  the  obligation  to  defer  to  the 
wishes  of  another,  to  serve  the  interests  of  another, 
the  emancipated  mind  has  leisure  and  opportunity 
to  indulge  its  own  fancies  and  magnify  its  own  conse- 
quence. You  expect  to  find  it  self-conscious  and  self- 
important,  jealous  of  its  dignity,  pre-occupied  with  its 
own  concerns.  You  would  be  surprised  to  find  the 
modest  grace  of  meekness  blooming  here,  where  the 
surroundings  seem  so  much  more  favorable  to  the  putting 
forth  of  pride  and  ambition  and  vain-glory.  The  place 
for  this  lowly  flower,  you  say  to  yourself,  was  the  valley. 
The  time  to  seek  it  was  the  spring.  It  does  not  belong 
here. 

But  now  it  is  due  simply  to  the  folly  and  blindness  of 
our  human  nature  that  we  think  thus.  Meekness  belongs 
to  man,  as  man.  No  other  frame  of  mind  is  consistent 
with  his  true  condition.  Wherever  he  may  find  his  place 
— whether  on  the  heights  of  prosperity,  on  the  level  of 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  1 45 

the  common  lot,  or  in  the  depths  of  adversity,  it  becomes 
him  to  be  meek.  The  slight  change  in  his  earthly  condi- 
tion by  which  he  is  raised  from  dependence  to  command, 
from  subordination  to  authority,  does  not  relieve  him 
from  the  pressure  of  any  moral  obligation.  His  rela- 
tions to  his  fellow-men  may  differ  in  certain  particulars, 
but  through  those  relations  the  same  duties  run  ;  and  he 
can  no  more  cease  to  be  meek  toward  them,  than  he  can 
cease  to  be  honest  and  humane  and  benevolent.  His  rela- 
tion to  his  Maker  has  not  changed  an  hair's  breadth.  In 
a  palace  as  in  a  hovel,  he  is  equally  God's  subject,  held  in 
almighty  hands,  powerless  to  withstand  the  infinite  will. 
He  is  as  much  exposed  at  the  one  point  as  at  the  other  to 
troubles  and  sorrows  of  this  uncertain  life.  What  other 
temper  than  meekness  befits  him  who,  do  what  he  may, 
must  needs  accept  what  is  sent  upon  him,  whether  it  is 
good  or  evil,  and  who,  at  the  time  appointed  by  a  decree 
that  none  can  resist,  must  exchange  his  grandeur  for  the 
lowliness  and  obscurity  of  the  grave  ? 

"  O  why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  proud?" 

There  is  indeed  no  earthly  condition  to  which  arrogance, 
vain-glory,  is  really  suited.  There  is  none  in  which  meek- 
ness is  not  alone  reasonable  and  becoming. 

Thus  the  paradox  which  our  text  presents  at  the  out- 
set, in  declaring  the  blessedness  of  the  meek,  is  easily  ex- 
plained. The  seeming  contradiction  disappears,  as  we 
consider  what  meekness  is,  and  what  occasion  there  is 
for  this  grace  in  view  of  man's  true  position  and  the  char- 
acter that  befits  him.  But  there  is  a  second  paradox  in 
this  Beatitude  which  we  may  pass  on  to  consider.  It  is 
presented  in  the  reason  assigned  for  this  mention  of  the 
meek  as  happy :  "  Blessed  are  the  meek  ;  for  they  shall 
inherit  the  earth." 


146  SERMONS. 

When  the  multitudes  gathered  around  the  Saviour 
heard  Him  speak  thus,  there  were  two  classes  of  per- 
sons known  to  them  as  aspiring  to  inherit  the  earth. 
The  Romans  sought  universal  dominion.  Rome  was  the 
mistress  of  Galilee,  as  of  Judea  and  all  Syria ;  and  far 
beyond  the  limits  of  those  provinces,  her  empire  ex- 
tended to  the  very  limits  of  the  discovered  world.  The 
men  who  represented  this  vast  power  to  the  eyes  of  the 
simple  Jewish  peasantry — the  soldiers  who  garrisoned 
their  large  towns,  and  the  tax-gatherers  who  made  their 
way  into  their  humblest  villages — showed  by  their  very 
look  and  bearing  that  they  regarded  themselves  as  own- 
ers of  all  things.  They  trod  the  soil  with  the  air  of  con- 
querors, and  pressed  their  severe  exactions  as  those  who 
would  brook  no  denial.  To  all  appearance,  Rome  had 
already  reached  universal  command.  A  hundred  millions 
of  the  human  race  bowed  to  the  will  of  Tiberius  in  un- 
questioning submission.  Who  but  the  lordly,  indomita- 
ble Romans  could  expect  to  inherit  the  earth  ?  But  this 
was  also  the  expectation  of  another  class  of  men.  The 
Pharisees,  the  sect  among  the  Jews  that  professed  the 
most  zealous  devotion  to  the  faith  of  Israel,  and  cher- 
ished with  the  utmost  intensity  the  national  hopes, 
looked  forward  confidently  to  a  time  when  the  chil- 
dren of  Abraham  should  have  dominion  over  all  the 
tribes  of  mankind.  They  waited  for  the  coming  of  their 
Messiah,  a  prince  whose  throne  should  be  established  on 
the  ruins  of  all  other  monarchies,  and  before  whose  scep- 
tre even  the  feared  and  hated  Rome  would  quail  and 
flee.  The  Pharisee  vied  with  the  Roman  himself  in 
pride.  Swollen  with  a  sense  of  his  superiority  to  the 
Gentile  idolater,  he  met  the  scorn  of  the  conquering  race 
with  the  scorn  of  a  race  destined  to  final  and  glorious 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  I47 

supremacy.  And  if  indeed  the  promise  made  to  the 
fathers  was  to  be  fulfilled,  and  David's  greater  Son  was 
to  come  and  set  up  in  Jerusalem  a  kingdom  that  should 
stretch  "  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends 
of  the  earth,"  who  like  the  Pharisee  could  be  justified, 
with  his  superior  knowledge  of  the  law  and  the  prophe- 
cies, and  his  prospect  of  a  high  standing  in  the  favor 
of  the  expected  Messiah,  in  lofty  thoughts  of  himself, 
and  in  passionate  resentment  of  the  injuries  done  to  his 
people  by  the  enemies  of  Israel  and  of  Israel's  God  ? 

But  the  character  described  by  the  Saviour  in  this 
Beatitude  suited  the  Pharisee  as  little  as  it  suited  the 
Roman.  **  Blessed  are  the  meek,"  said  Jesus,  "  for  they 
shall  inherit  the  earth."  The  disciples  and  the  multitudes 
that  heard  this  must  have  felt  a  glad  surprise.  The 
promise  was  not  altogether  new.  It  recalled  familiar 
sayings  in  the  Psalms,  and  in  the  prophecies  that  were 
read  every  Sabbath-day  in  the  Jewish  synagogues. 
Christ's  hearers  remembered  how  it  was  written,  in  the 
Psalms,  "The  Lord  lifteth  up  the  meek;  He  will  beau- 
tify the  meek  with  salvation.  The  meek  will  He  guide 
in  judgment ;  and  the  meek  will  He  teach  His  way." 
Nay,  the  very  promise  which  the  Saviour  introduced  into 
this  Beatitude  was  taken  from  the  Thirty-seventh  Psalm  : 
"  The  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth,  and  shall  delight 
themselves  in  the  abundance  of  peace."  And  prophecy 
had  spoken  of  the  meek.  It  had  described  the  coming 
Saviour  as  having  special  purposes  of  mercy  for  them. 
Isaiah  represented  Him  as  saying:  "The  Lord  hath 
anointed  Me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek,"  and, 
speaking  of  the  time  of  His  coming,  had  said :  "  In  that 
day  the  meek  shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,  and 
the  poor  among  men  shall  rejoice  in  the   Holy  One  of 


148  SERMONS. 

Israel."  Must  it  not  have  been  happiness  to  every 
lowly  heart,  to  every  quiet  spirit  which,  empty  of  self-es- 
teem, and  worldly  ambition,  and  bitter  hatred,  was  ready 
to  take  upon  it  Christ's  easy  yoke,  to  hear  these  words  of 
Jesus  ;  to  realize  that  this  was,  indeed.  He  of  whom  such 
things  had  been  said  ;  and  to  learn  that  in  His  kingdom 
there  were  to  be  provided  blessings  so  vast  for  the  meek 
— blessings  that  were  dimly  intimated  in  that  marvellous 
promise  which  the  mind  could  but  imperfectly  take  in  : 
"  They  shall  inherit  the  earth  "  ? 

There  are  many  precious  meanings  contained  in  this 
promise,  and  they  have  been  brought  forth  into  the 
light  with  growing  distinctness  and  beauty  ever  since  the 
words  were  uttered:  "The  earth  is  the  Lord's,"  and 
man  can  claim  it,  and  hold  it  in  rightful  possession,  only 
by  inheritance  from  Him.  Those  who  have  God  for 
their  Father,  and  to  whom  all  men  are  brethren  ;  who 
are  Christlike  in  spirit ;  whom  His  grace  has  renewed, 
expelling  from  their  hearts  all  enmity  and  indifference 
toward  God,  all  envy  and  uncharitableness  toward  men, 
bringing  them  into  a  state  of  submission  to  His  will  that 
precludes  all  complaint  of  His  dealings,  all  dissatisfaction 
with  His  appointments,  and  breathing  into  their  souls  a 
benevolence  toward  men,  that  is  proof  against  the  power 
of  unkindness  or  malignity  to  weaken  or  to  convert  into 
hatred  or  revenge,  are  the  children  of  the  Highest, 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ;  and  all  things 
are  theirs.  They  are  passing  through  this  world  on 
their  way  to  a  heavenly  kingdom  ;  but  the  relation  in 
which  they  stand  to  the  Maker  and  Governor  of  this 
world  gives  them  an  interest  in  it,  and  should  yield  to 
them  a  delight  in  it,  that  only  they  can  share.  It  is  not 
for  want  of  encouragement  in  the    Bible  thus  to  regard 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  I49 

this  earth  and  the  blessings  of  this  life  that  any  Christian 
fails  to  make  the  experience  his  own  which  the  poet 
Cowper  has  described  as  that  of  a  child  of  God  : 

"  He  looks  abroad  into  the  varied  field 
Of  nature,  and  tho'  poor  perhaps  compared 
With  those  whose  mansions  glitter  in  his  sight, 
Calls  the  delightful  scenery  all  his  own. 
His  are  the  mountains,  and  the  valleys  his, 
And  the  resplendent  rivers,  his  to  enjoy 
With  a  propriety  that  none  can  feel. 
But  who,  with  filial  confidence  inspired. 
Can  lift  to  Heaven  an  unpresumptuous  eye, 
And,  smiling,  say  :    My  Father  made  them  all !  " 

Meekness  is  a  characteristic  of  one  who  has  been  brought 
into  this  endearing  relation  with  the  Maker  of  this  beau- 
tiful world  ;  and  it  is  in  the  exercise  of  this  grace  that  he 
can  taste  this  pure  happiness.  Let  the  mind  swerve  from 
its  loyal  submission  to  that  Maker,  and  admit  repining 
and  rebellious  thoughts  of  Him  ;  or  let  its  peace  be 
broken — not  by  the  injustice  or  the  ingratitude  of  man, 
but  by  cherished  feelings  of  resentment  and  displeasure — 
and  this  blessedness  will  be  dispelled.  It  is  a  peace  that 
flies  from  the  breast  when  the  gentle  spirit  of  contentment 
and  forgiveness  departs.  But  while  the  Christian  walks 
humbly  with  his  God  and  lives  in  charity  with  his  fellow- 
man,  all  things  are  his,  things  present  and  things  to  come. 
Revenues  of  pure  enjoyment  are  flowing  in  to  him  from 
the  world  around  him.  He  finds  rest  to  his  soul  in  a 
childlike  acquiescence  with  the  will  of  his  Father,  and  the 
promise  is  fulfilled  to  him,  that  "  the  meek  shall  inherit 
the  earth." 

The  promise  is  to  the  Church  in  its  work  of  subduing 
this  world  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.  "  The  meek  shall 
inherit  the  earth."     Every  inch  that  has  been  gained  in 


1 50  SERMONS. 

seeking  to  rescue  this  world  from  the  dominion  of  sin  and 
ignorance  has  been  gained  by  patient,  self-denying  effort 
put  forth  in  the  spirit  of  that  charity  that  suffereth  all 
things,  endureth  long  and  is  kind,  is  not  easily  provoked. 
The  successful  toilers  in  this  work  have  been  the  meek. 
When  the  self-willed  and  the  vain-glorious  affect  to  de- 
spise that  lowly  grace,  which  can  suffer  and  keep  silent, 
which  can  take  an  affront  without  retaliation,  let  them 
turn  and  look  at  the  displays  of  meekness  that  mankind 
has  witnessed  these  eighteen  hundred  years,  and  is  wit- 
nessing to-day. 

Let  them  behold  its  beauty  and  its  power,  as  it  ap- 
peared in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  the  charm 
that  drew  to  Him  great  multitudes  who  had  this  prep- 
aration to  enter  His  kingdom,  that  under  the  teaching 
of  poverty  and  obscurity  and  humiliation  they  had  learned 
something  of  submission  and  lowliness  and  quiet  endu- 
rance, and  who  when  they  heard  Him  say:  "  Come  unto 
Me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly,"  felt  the  force  of  the  argu- 
ment, and  came  to  Him.  But  it  was  the  power  also  that 
broke  down  the  pride  and  self-sufficiency  of  many  of  the 
worldly-wise  and  the  self-righteous,  who  when  they  saw 
Him,  that  "when  He  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again,  when 
He  suffered.  He  threatened  not,"  felt  the  conquering  force 
of  His  meekness,  and  yielded  to  His  subduing  love.  And 
the  men  and  the  women  who  have  followed  in  Christ's 
steps,  have  proved  the  efBciency  and  the  excellence  of 
the  same  blessed  principle.  The  manifest  condition  of 
all  success  in  work  for  Christ  among  the  poor  and  de- 
based in  Christian  and  in  heathen  lands,  is  Meekness. 
The  world  has  learned  to  praise  the  missionary  who 
plunges  into  the  wretchedness  of  barbarous  tribes,  and 
spends  his  life  in  efforts  to  enlighten  and  save  men.    But 


BLESSED  ARE  THE  MEEK.  151 

in  recognizing  a  Livingston  or  a  Pattison  as  a  hero,  the 
world  has  unconsciously  recognized  the  heroism  of  meek- 
ness. The  man  who  devotes  himself  to  such  a  career  is 
brought  in  contact  with  human  weakness  and  wicked- 
ness, with  no  defence  but  an  inexhaustible  patience  and 
a  love  that  will  not  be  repelled.  The  daily  and  hourly 
vexations  and  disappointments  and  rebuffs  he  must  en- 
counter could  not  be  borne  by  a  spirit,  however  strongly 
curbed  and  steadily  controlled,  that  had  not  been  tem- 
pered by  the  grace  of  God  to  the  quality  of  a  Christlike 
meekness.  And  going  forth  in  this  spirit,  the  servants  of 
Christ  go  forward  to  certain  and  glorious  success.  "  The 
meek  shall  inherit  the  earth."  All  efforts  to  Christianize 
mankind  proceeding  on  other  lines  of  action  have  failed 
and  must  certainly  fail.  The  sword  has  won  no  victories 
for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  Men  have  been  dragooned 
into  a  religious  profession,  but  never  into  a  religious  per- 
suasion. The  "  booted  missionaries  "  of  Charles  the  Sec- 
ond in  Scotland  and  of  Louis  the  Fourteenth  in  France, 
made  martyrs  and  exiles,  but  no  true  converts.  But  the 
cause  of  Christ,  advocated  with  the  gentleness  of  Christ, 
attested  by  the  self-devotion  that  His  example  inspires, 
shall  win  the  day. 

My  brethren,  let  us  cultivate  this  grace  of  meekness. 
There  was  never  more  need  of  it  than  there  is  at  the 
present  day.  In  an  age  of  such  intense  activity  as  this 
the  appeals  are  constant  to  self-interest  and  ambition. 
The  spirit  of  emulation  and  rivalry,  the  greed  of  gain, 
the  brooding  dissatisfaction  with  things  possessed,  the 
craving  for  material  good  of  every  kind,  is  wide-spread 
and  pervading.  Never  was  it  more  important,  for  the 
Christian's  peace  and  for  his  usefulness,  that  he  should 
possess  and  show  forth  the  meekness  that  is  Christlike. 


152  SERMONS. 

Let  us  cultivate  it.  Let  us  seek  to  have  a  truer  concep- 
tion of  the  temper  of  mind  that  is  suitable  to  our 
earthly  condition  and  to  our  eternal  prospects.  Men  are 
coming  to  have,  in  general,  truer  ideas  on  this  sub- 
ject. There  has  been  great  progress  in  public  opinion 
throughout  the  civilized  world  with  reference  to  the  nature 
of  true  manliness.  The  age  of  the  duel  has  past  ;  the  age 
of  warfare  is  passing.  Men  are  coming  to  understand  the 
nobleness  and  the  might  of  gentle  methods,  the  moral 
grandeur  of  self-restraint.  The  Son  of  Man  has  been 
saying,  these  eighteen  hundred  years,  to  humanity : 
"  Learn  of  Me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and 
ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls."  And  humanity  is  learn- 
ing the  lesson.  Let  us  as  Christians  echo  our  Master's 
word,  illustrate  it,  and  enforce  it.  O  for  more  of  the 
meekness  of  Christ  I  May  the  blessedness  be  ours  of  a 
spirit  contented  and  submissive,  satisfied  with  the  holy 
will  of  the  Lord  we  serve  !  May  the  blessedness  be  ours 
of  a  spirit  patient,  forbearing,  forgiving,  under  whatever 
trials  we  may  be  called  by  His  appointment  to  endure  at 
the  hands  of  our  fellow-men  !  May  the  blessedness  be 
ours  of  realizing  from  day  to  day  that  we  are  in  God's 
world,  under  God's  care,  and  therefore  safe  and  at  peace, 
and  that  we  belong  to  the  number  of  those  to  whom  He 
has  promised  an  eternal  glory,  when  the  "  new  heavens 
and  the  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness  "  shall 
be  revealed  ! 


VL 
THE  GOD  OF  ALL  COMFORT. 

2  Corinthians  i.  3. 
"  The  God  of  all  comfort." 

This  language  associates  the  thought  of  comfort  with 
the  thought  of  God  ;  and  the  connection  of  these  two 
ideas  supplies  our  present  theme.  True  consolation  is 
divine.  It  is  one  of  those  good  and  perfect  gifts  that 
come  from  the  Father  of  lights.  We  must  look  up,  to 
invite  and  to  receive  it ;  and  looking  up  we  see  Him  who 
bestows  it  in  a  character  most  attractive  and  endearing, 
as  the  "  Father  of  mercies,"  and  in  particular,  "the  God 
of  all  comfort." 

The  subject  thus  stated  may  seem  to  commend  itself 
to  a  special  class  among  the  hearers  of  the  Gospel.  There 
are  occasions  upon  which  it  is  manifestly  proper  that  the 
preacher  of  the  Gospel  should  address  special  classes  of 
hearers,  as  the  young,  the  aged,  the  men  of  business,  the 
unconverted,  the  active  membership  of  the  church.  This 
would  be  a  fitting  time  in  which  to  speak  to  the  afflicted. 
Those  among  us  in  this  church  and  community  who 
have  lately  experienced  bereavement — how  natural  that 
we  should  speak  to  them  of  comfort !  How  natural  that 
we  should  point  them  to  the  God  of  all  comfort !     A  ser- 

153 


154  SERMONS. 

mon  addressed  to  these  might  be  listened  to  by  others 
with  sympathetic  interest,  with  recognition  of  its  appro- 
priateness, yet  at  the  same  time  under  an  impression 
of  its  exclusive  reference  to  the  bereaved.  But  the  ap- 
plication of  our  subject,  dear  friends,  is  not  thus  limited. 
That  subject  claims  the  attention  of  every  hearer  in  this 
congregation.  Each  one  of  us  needs  either  to  be  sup- 
ported under  present  trial  or  prepared  for  trials  that  are 
inevitably  in  the  future  ;  and  all,  whether  actually  expe- 
riencing affliction  or  not,  need  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
provision  that  exists  for  the  relief  of  trouble,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  helpful  to  others.  Indeed,  this  last 
consideration  is  the  leading  one  in  the  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture where  our  text  occurs.  St.  Paul  rejoices  in  the  God 
of  all  comfort  as  comforting  him  in  order  that  he  may  be 
the  better  qualified  to  comfort  others.  It  seemed  to  him 
worth  while  to  have  passed  through  very  much  of  suffer- 
ing and  mental  conflict,  that  he  might  know  how  to  tell 
others,  out  of  his  own  living  experience,  of  the  divine 
consolation  that  he  had  found  so  full  and  satisfying;  and 
if  there  be  one  here  who  stands  consciously  in  no  per- 
sonal need  of  those  consolations  by  reason  of  any  pres- 
ent grief,  any  remembered  grief,  yet,  I  say,  it  would  be 
worth  his  while  to  learn  what  the  Bible  proclaims  con- 
cerning the  God  of  all  comfort,  that  in  his  privileged  ex- 
emption from  the  common  lot,  in  his  immunity  from 
trouble,  he  might  be  able  to  feel  for  others  and  to  speak 
to  them  some  word  as  from  that  God. 

But,  my  brethren,  as  the  case  stands,  there  is  no  such 
immunity.  In  this  life  of  ours,  as  on  this  earth  of  ours, 
there  are  perpetual  alternations  of  light  and  shade. 
Hemispheres  of  day  are  followed  by  hemispheres  of 
darkness.     Some  men,  indeed,  are  dwelling  this  moment 


THE   GOD   OF  ALL   COMFORT.  1 55 

in  a  world  that  seems  flooded  with  sunshine.  For  a  few 
it  is  high  noon.  All  the  surroundings  are  prosperous 
and  joyous.  And  the  heart  is  saying  to  itself :  "  I  shall 
never  be  in  adversity."  But  this  meridian  of  prosperity 
is  only  a  narrow  and  shifting  line  from  which  those  who 
have  reached  it  must  hasten  toward  the  setting ;  and 
everywhere  else,  everywhere  else,  the  shadows  are  ad- 
vancing or  retreating,  or  darkness  covers  the  land.  To 
forget  this,  to  forget  while  the  little  season  of  brightness 
lasts  that  elsewhere  there  is  obscurity,  and  that  even  to 
us  also  the  night  cometh,  is  unreasonable  and  selfish. 
Intelligent  minds  and  feeling  hearts  cannot  refuse  to 
know  and  to  remember  that  in  this  world  trouble  abounds. 
Are  you  free  from  it  just  now?  Be  glad  and  thankful, 
but  do  not  try  to  banish  from  your  thought  either  the 
possibility  of  trouble  to  yourself  or  the  actuality  of  trou- 
ble around  you.  Does  this  thought  disturb  your  happi- 
ness ?  The  kind  of  happiness  which  this  thought  would 
disturb  is  one  which  you  have  no  right  to  enjoy.  It  is 
not  for  mortals,  in  a  world  where  sin  exists  and  death 
reigns,  to  close  their  eyes  to  the  fact  that  humanity 
stands  in  need  of  consolation. 

Let  me  ask  you,  then,  to  notice  first  the  claim  that  is 
made  in  our  text  in  behalf  of  the  infinite  God,  that  He  is 
the  only  source  of  this  blessing  for  His  creatures.  He  is 
the  God  of  all  comfort.  If  there  be  any  truth,  any 
thought  or  word,  that  is  capable  of  imparting  peace  and 
hope  and  strength  to  a  troubled  human  heart,  it  comes 
from  Him,  relates  to  Him.  God  has  the  monopoly  of  all 
consolation.  It  is  His  prerogative  to  cheer  and  bless  the 
children  of  affliction.  He  has  not  given  this  right  to  an- 
other. He  neither  sends  us  elsewhere  for  comfort,  nor 
suffers  us  to  find  elsewhere  what  we  need.    The  pleasures 


156  SERMONS. 

of  sin  cannot  meet  this  want.  He  who  shall  try  the  ex- 
periment of  seeking  relief  from  sadness  and  sorrow  amid 
the  frivolities  or  the  excesses  of  a  worldly  life,  will  have 
to  say  at  last :  "  Miserable  comforters  are  ye  all."  "  The 
world  can  never  give  the  bliss  for  which  we  sigh."  Nature 
in  its  gentlest  moods,  as  in  its  grandest,  confesses:  "  It  is 
not  in  me."  How  often  has  the  mourner  felt  that  the 
beauty,  the  serenity,  the  majesty  of  nature  was  all  out  of 
keeping  with  his  grief !  No  tender,  pitying  voice  came 
through  its  peaceful  stillness  to  quiet  the  tumult  of  his 
soul.  Only  God  can  comfort.  For  only  He  can  exert 
upon  the  mind  that  inward  influence  that  can  calm  its 
distress.  He  alone  can  furnish  the  hopes  that  offset  the 
fears  and  woes  that  afflict  us.  None  but  God  can  relieve 
us  of  our  troubles  by  removing  the  occasion  for  sorrow 
and  apprehension  ;  and  only  He  can  so  nerve  and  uplift 
the  soul  that  it  shall  be  able  bear  the  trouble  which  He 
does  not  see  fit  to  remove,  submissively,  cheerfully,  tri- 
umphantly rejoicing  in  the  midst  of  tribulation,  because 
He  is  its  God.  It  is  folly,  madness,  for  man,  who  is  born 
to  trouble,  to  say  in  his  prosperity  :  "  I  shall  never  be  in 
adversity."  But  it  is  the  blessedness  of  the  man  who  has 
God,  the  God  of  all  comfort,  for  his  Friend,  that  he  can 
say:  "Lord,  Thou  hast  known  my  soul  in  adversities. 
In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts — my  anxious,  sorrowful, 
distressing  thoughts — within  me,  Thy  comforts  delight 
my  soul.  Blessed  be  God,  even  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all 
comfort,  who  comforteth  us  in  all  our  tribulation." 

Does  it  seem  to  us  that  there  is  something  almost  arbi- 
trary, on  our  Maker's  part,  thus  to  shut  us  off  from  all 
other  sources  of  comfort,  and  force  us  to  resort  to  Him 
for  all  true  and  lasting  peace — all  consolation  ?     So  far 


THE   GOD   OF  ALL    COMFORT.  1 5/ 

from  this,  my  brethren,  it  is,  rightly  viewed,  the  highest 
evidence  of  our  Maker's  compassion  and  benevolence, 
that  He  thus  deals  with  us.  He  would  have  us  come  to 
Him  in  our  necessity,  because  with  Him  there  is  infinite 
fulness  to  meet  our  want,  and  because  He  is  infinitely 
desirous  to  bless  us.  He  is  "the  Father  of  lights,"  and 
He  is  "  the  God  of  all  comfort  ";  and  as  we  are  dependent 
on  Him  for  the  light  and  the  breath  and  the  bread  of  life, 
and  every  form  of  temporal  good,  so  are  we  dependent  on 
Him  for  help  and  relief  in  the  sorrows  and  perplexities  of 
the  soul;  and  as  He  would  have  us  look  to  Him  for 
daily  blessings,  so  He  would  have  us  come  to  Him  in 
trouble  for  consolation.  And  our  trials  are  messengers 
that  bring  us  this  invitation  from  Him.  Afflictions  have 
a  speech  and  a  language  that  often  make  themselves  un- 
derstood where  other  voices  are  not  heard.  They  bear 
witness  concerning  this  God  of  consolation.  They  bid  us 
come  unto  Him  when  laboring  and  heavy-laden.  The 
proof  that  they  have  this  mission,  that  they  carry  this  in- 
vitation, lies  in  the  fact  that  so  often  the  mission  is  suc- 
cessful, the  invitation  is  accepted.  Men  in  their  trouble 
do  seek  the  Lord.  He  is  the  God  of  all  comfort ;  and 
sorrowing  hearts  are  constrained  to  turn  to  Him.  This 
is  the  appointed  purpose  of  Trial,  and  often  we  are  per- 
mitted to  see  and  to  rejoice  in  the  accomplishment  of  the 
purpose.  The  worldliness,  the  skepticism,  the  utter  hos- 
tility to  religion,  that  held  the  mind  and  heart  away  from 
all  influences  of  the  Church  and  the  Bible  and  the  min- 
istry, broke  down  when  death  entered  the  home,  and 
when  yearning  affection  could  reach  out  no  further, 
without  God's  help,  than  the  new-made  grave  where  a 
cherished  form  had  been  laid  away.  Thank  God  that  so 
often  it  has  been  thus  ;  and  that  in  the  results  of  sancti- 


158  SERMONS. 

fied  affliction  we  may  read  in  part  at  least  the  wisdom 
and  loving-kindness  of  our  Maker  in  compelling  us  to 
come  to  Him  for  "  all  comfort  "  ! 

I  have  asked  you  to  consider  the  claim  that  is  put 
forth  in  our  text,  in  behalf  of  the  infinite  God,  as  the  one 
source  of  this  blessing  for  His  creatures.  Let  me  ask 
you  to  consider,  in  the  next  place,  how  this  claim  is  made 
good  ;  how  it  is  that  He  who  alone  possesses  the  re- 
sources of  consolation  that  His  creatures  need,  dispenses, 
imparts  them  ;  what  are  the  grounds  of  comfort  that  we 
have  in  Him  ?  And  first,  I  remark,  this  claim  is  made 
good  by  the  discovery  that  God  has  made  of  Himself  to 
us,  in  statements  like  that  of  our  text.  There  is  ground 
of  comfort  for  us  in  the  very  name  by  which,  here  and 
elsewhere,  He  calls  Himself,  as  "  the  God  of  consolation  ; 
God,  that  comforteth  those  that  are  cast  down ;  the 
Father  of  mercies."  These  are  synonyms  for  the  great 
Jehovah,  the  Maker  and  Ruler  of  all,  the  glorious  Sover- 
eign of  the  universe.  Translated  into  the  language  that 
may  best  reach  the  heart  of  the  child  of  sorrow  in  his 
need  of  Divine  help,  the  name  of  this  High  and  Lofty 
One  is  The  God  of  all  comfort.  This  designation  at  once 
invests  the  character  of  our  Maker  with  a  surprising  in- 
terest for  all  those  who  need  such  a  God,  and  for  all  who 
know  Him  as  their  God.  As  there  are  human  names  that 
bring  to  us  immediately  the  thought  of  a  personal  and 
unquestionable  sympathy,  so  that  there  is  no  occasion 
for  introducing  them  with  any  qualifying  word,  or  ac- 
companying them  with  any  assurance  of  kindness  and 
helpfulness ;  as  there  are  names  so  hallowed  by  associa- 
tion with  all  that  is  true  and  noble  that  the  very  mention 
of  them  awakens  confidence  and  gladness ;  as  there  are 
names  that  live  in  the  memory  as  motives  to  earnest  and 


THE   GOD   OF  ALL   COMFORT.  1 59 

hopeful  endeavor,  so  to  the  child  of  God,  who  has  made 
himself  familiar,  through  the  study  of  the  Bible,  with  the 
character  of  God,  and  who  has  had  much  habitual  com- 
munion with  God  in  prayer,  so  that  he  has  come  to 
think  of  prayer  as  the  very  chiefest  source  and  spring  of 
all  consolation  for  him,  God's  name  is  a  consolation  in 
itself.  It  is  joy  to  think  that  there  is  such  a  Being.  It 
is  joy  to  think  that  we  have  such  a  God.  It  is  happiness 
to  know  that  this  Being  will  never  change.  Sorrow  and 
loss  may  befall  the  Christian ;  but  no  such  loss  and  sor- 
row can  ever  befall  him,  as  that  God  should  cease  to  be 
God — the  God  of  all  comfort — to  him.  What  power 
there  is  in  this  thought  to  cheer  and  strengthen  the  be- 
liever, we  may  learn  from  some  of  the  hymns  which  we 
occasionally  sing,  but  always,  I  doubt  not,  with  the  feel- 
ing that  we  fail  to  realize  in  its  fulness  the  sentiment 
which  the  writer  of  the  hymn  puts  into  it — the  great  de- 
light that  he  found  in  the  thought  of  the  infinite  and 
glorious  One  who  condescended  to  make  Himself  known 
to  him  as  his  Father  and  his  Friend.  So  in  the  hymn  of 
Isaac  Watts,  beginning : 

"  My  God,  the  Spring  of  all  my  joys, 
The  Life  of  my  delights, 
The  Glory  of  my  brightest  days, 
And  Comfort  of  my  nights." 

And  so  in  that  hymn    of    Faber,  written  a  hundred 
and  forty  years  later,  but  breathing  the  self-same  spirit : 

"  Only  to  sit  and  think  of  God, 
O  what  a  joy  it  is  ! 
To  think  the  thought,  to  breathe  the  name, 
Earth  has  no  higher  bliss." 

Would  you  know  what  a  charm  there  is  in  that  blessed 
name,  uttered  in  faith  and  adoring  love,  to  call  forth 


l6o  SERMONS. 

fountains  of  consolation  in  the  midst  of  the  dreariest  ex- 
periences of  human  life?  Read  David's  psalms  and 
Paul's  epistles.  See  how  every  consideration  of  comfort 
for  the  troubled  soul  centres  in  God.  See  how  in  almost 
every  sentence  of  psalm  and  epistle  the  Divine  name 
comes  in,  as  the  one  precious,  gladdening,  sustaining,  in- 
spiring thought.  And  so  it  shall  be  with  you.  Christian, 
if  by  converse  with  Him  in  prayer,  and  acquaintance  with 
Him  through  His  word,  you  shall  accustom  yourself  to 
this  glorious  thought.  Then  the  Lord,  thy  dwelling- 
place,  shall  be  thy  refuge  in  trouble,  the  God  of  all  com- 
fort, to  thee. 

A  second  comforting  consideration  is  the  thought  of 
the  Divine  sovereignty.  It  is  the  thought  that  He  whose 
very  name  is  a  strong  consolation  for  His  people,  governs 
and  manages  with  absolute  power  and  wisdom  and  equity 
all  their  concerns.  "  The  Lord  reigneth  "  ;  and  the  fact 
that  He  reigns,  the  fact  of  His  providential  government, 
is  a  consoling  truth  that  will  grow  in  sweetness  and  in 
soothing  efificacy,  the  longer  we  study  it.  "  Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye.  My  people,"  said  the  Lord  to  His  people  by 
the  mouth  of  the  prophet;  and  the  message  that  should 
bring  joy  and  gladness  to  Zion  was :  "  Thy  God  reigneth  !  ' ' 
Infinite  righteousness,  infinite  love,  is  on  the  throne;  and 
no  interest  of  His  submissive  and  obedient  creature  shall 
suffer  in  the  hands  of  Him  who  holds  the  sceptre.  Is  it 
so?  May  I  believe — nay,  must  I  believe — that  the  very 
trials  that  befall  me  are  appointed  by  the  God  who  made 
me,  and  who  exercises  a  loving  care  over  all  my  life  ;  and 
that,  in  sending  these.  He  is  the  same  wise  and  faithful 
Ruler>  the  same  compassionate  Friend,  as  in  sending  joy 
and  prosperity?     Surely  there  is  comfort  in  the  thought. 

A  third  ground  of  comfort  is  the  word  of  God.     One 


THE    GOD   OF  ALL    COMFORT.  l6l 

of  the  many  excellences  of  the  Bible  is  the  great  wealth 
of  consolatory  truth  it  is  stored  with.  We  might  conceive 
of  a  Bible  without  this.  There  might  be  a  Divine  revela- 
tion containing  little  of  consolatory  truth.  There  might 
be  prophecy  here,  and  history,  and  doctrine,  and  law,  with 
little  or  nothing  of  promise,  of  cheering  invitation  and 
gracious  assurance.  But  as  God  has  given  this  Book  to 
us,  it  is  filled  with  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises. 
Who  ever  took  it  up  when  troubled,  and  needing  to  be 
comforted,  and,  searching  these  pages,  failed  to  find  the 
teachings  that  were  suited  to  encourage  and  refresh — 
failed  to 

"Light  on  some  sweet  promise  there, 
Some  sure  support  against  despair  "  ? 

These  promises  are  God's  everlasting  consolations. 
Accepting  this  Book  as  His  word,  we  receive  from  His 
own  lips  the  faithful  and  true  sayings  that  are  as  balm  to 
the  wounded  heart.  And  in  the  measure  of  the  con- 
fidence, the  simple  trust,  with  which  we  so  accept  the 
Scriptures,  our  comfort  abounds.  In  times  of  sore  per- 
secution, and  in  times  of  deep  poverty,  such  as  God's 
people  have  often  passed  through,  it  has  been  because, 
shut  up  to  this  one  resource,  they  have  in  simplicity  and 
quiet  confidence  looked  and  hearkened  to  these  blessed 
Bible  teachings,  that  they  have  been  so  wonderfully  sup- 
ported, and  have  been  enabled  to  rejoice  even  in  tribula- 
tion. And  we  can  see  much  wisdom  and  goodness  in 
the  manner  in  which  this  Divine  comfort  is  ministered  to 
us  in  the  Bible.  Not  only  through  those  statements  and 
those  declarations  which  we  distinguish  as  promises,  but 
in  other  forms  as  well.  "  Whatsoever  things  were  written 
aforetime,"  says  the  apostle,  "  were  written  for  our  learn- 
ing, that  we,  through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scrip- 


1 62  SERMONS. 

tures,  might  have  hope."  Many  a  believer  has  taken 
one  and  another  of  the  tried  and  troubled  saints  whose 
story  is  told  in  the  Bible,  as  examples  of  suffering  afflic- 
tion. There  is  comfort  in  reading  how  God  dealt  with 
them:  how  He  delivered  them  out  of  their  distresses; 
yes,  and  still  more,  how  He  sustained  them  while  still  in 
the  midst  of  those  distresses.  The  comfort  comes,  while 
as  we  read  how  the  Lord  dealt  thus  with  them,  we  keep 
saying  to  ourselves:  "  This  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and 
ever;  He  will  be  our  Guide  even  unto  death.  Our  fathers 
trusted  in  Him,  and  were  not  disappointed.  He  is  our 
refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble." 
There  is  comfort  in  tracing  the  record  of  the  Divine 
faithfulness  in  past  ages.  We  see  that  the  Lord  has 
never  forsaken  the  earth,  never  forgotten  His  Church. 
The  foundations  of  truth  and  righteousness  have  never 
been  overthrown.  Religion  has  lived  through  dark  and 
dreary  days ;  the  cause  of  Christ  has  struggled  with  hosts 
of  enemies ;  and  it  will  go  on  from  conquest  to  conquest 
until  the  victory  shall  be  complete.  There  is  comfort  in 
these  representations  which  the  Bible  makes,  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  in  this  world,  changeful  as  the  aspects  of  its 
conditions  have  been.  And  there  is  comfort  unspeakable 
in  what  the  Bible  says  of  heaven.  Here  we  have  a  "  strong 
consolation" — in  the  hope  that  reaches  into  the  eternal 
world,  and  takes  hold  of  the  joys  and  glories  that  are  at 
God's  right  hand.  "What  is  it,"  we  say,  as  we  read  in 
the  spirit  of  faith  and  expectation,  about  that  life  that  is 
soon  to  begin  for  the  child  of  God  ;  "  what  is  it  to  bear 
the  buffetings  of  earthly  misfortune,  the  losses  and  priva- 
tions and  bereavements  of  this  present  time?" 

"  Soon  and  forever  the  breaking  of  day, 
-  Shall  drive  all  the  night-clouds  of  sorrow  away." 


THE   GOD    OF  ALL    COMFORT.  1 63 

The  God  of  all  comfort  ministers  consolation  to  His 
troubled  children,  through  the  revelations  that  His  pre- 
cious Word  makes  to  them  of  heaven.  And  it  has  been 
in  looking  away  from  the  cares  and  sorrows  of  earth  to  that 
bright  world,  whose  attractions  are  displayed  to  us  in  the 
Bible,  that  His  people  have  renewed  their  strength,  have 
•dismissed  their  fears,  have  gathered  patience  and  courage 
to  finish  their  course. 

And  in  this  Bible  all  truth  that  is  suited  to  bless  the 
children  of  trouble  and  sorrow  centres  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  Father  of  Jesus  is  the  God  of  all  comfort. 
There  could  be  none  to  deliver  us  from  woe,  were  there 
not  One  who  saves  from  sin.  Our  chief  unhappiness  arises 
from  our  unholiness.  A  troubled  conscience ;  a  heart 
consciously  unreconciled  to  God  ;  a  mind  bereft  of  clear 
•and  intelligent  views  of  spiritual  realities — dark  with  for- 
bodings  of  evil  to  come,  of  death  and  judgment  and  a 
dread  eternity, — these  are  the  sources  of  much  of  the 
wretchedness  in  this  world  that  calls  for  the  interposition 
of  a  God  who  can  relieve  it.  This  is  what  Christ  came 
to  relieve.  And  in  bearing  our  sins.  He  bore  our  sorrows. 
As  we  look  to  Him  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins  ;  as  in  Him 
we  behold  the  mercy  and  loving-kindness  of  a  pardoning 
Cod,  the  burden  of  our  earthly  trial  grows  lighter.  As- 
sured of  His  love,  drawn  into  blessed  sympathy  and  fellow- 
ship with  him,  we  grow  stronger  to  endure  the  griefs  and 
vexations  of  the  present  hour.  To  the  troubled  conscience, 
to  the  heart  disturbed  by  a  sense  of  separation  and  dis- 
tance from  its  Maker,  Christ  speaks  the  word  of  pardon,  the 
word  of  peace  ;  and  when  that  is  done,  the  sharpness  of  all 
possible  suffering  for  the  soul  is  blunted;  the  sting  is  re- 
moved from  every  grief.  "  For  when  He  giveth  quietness, 
who  then  can  make  trouble  ?     Who  shall  separate  us — 


164  SERMONS. 

what  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ? — tribula- 
tion, distress,  persecution,  want  ?  "  O  dear  friends,  our 
first  need,  as  mourners  and  sufferers,  is  to  hear  that  blessed 
pardoning  word  from  Him  who  has  delivered  us  from  sin  ; 
to  hear  it  afresh  if  we  have  heard  it  already ;  to  gain 
comfort  in  the  precious  thought  that  we  are  God's  chil- 
dren, brought  home  to  Him,  and  forever  dear  to  Him, 
never  to  be  forsaken,  never  to  be  forgotten  by  Him, 
That  word  Jesus  speaks ;  and  it  is  the  matchless  word  of 
comfort  for  aching  hearts. 

"  When  Jesus  speaks,  so  sweet  the  sound, 

The  harps  of  heaven  are  hushed  to  hear, 
And  all  His  words  go  circling  round 

From  lip  to  lip,  and  ear  to  ear. 
But  wondering  seraph  never  heard. 

In  all  the  mighty  years  of  heaven, 
Music  so  sweet  as  that  dear  word, 

'  Thy  many  sins  are  all  forgiven.' 
Sinners  of  earth,  redeemed  by  blood, 

How  leaped  your  hearts,  when  first  ye  knew 
The  amazing  grace,  and  understood 

The  gift  of  pardon  was  for  you  ? 
Adopted  now,  with  spirits  awed. 

Knowing  your  privilege  unpriced. 
Ye  claim  the  fatherhood  of  God 

And  blessed  brotherhood  of  Christ." 

These  consolations  which  we  have  in  God,  in  His 
name,  His  government.  His  word.  His  Son,  are  minis- 
tered to  us  by  His  Spirit.  That  which  completes  the 
fitness  of  the  religion  of  the  Gospel  as  a  religion  for  the 
troubled  and  tempted  children  of  men,  is  the  fact  that  it 
reveals  the  Blessed  Comforter,  who  brings  these  truths 
to  our  minds,  and  enables  us  to  receive  them  and  rest 
upon  them.  Of  all  the  offices  of  friendship,  the  most 
privileged,  the  most  sacred  and  tender,  is  that  of  conso- 


THE   GOD   OF  ALL    COMFORT.  1 65 

lation.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  fulfilled  this  office  for 
His  disciples  when  He  was  on  earth  ;  and  when  He  was 
about  to  leave  them  He  promised  them  *'  another  Com- 
forter, who  should  abide  with  them  forever,  even  the 
Spirit  of  truth."  And  it  is  by  God's  Spirit  that  God's 
comfort  is  brought  home  to  the  hearts  of  His  children. 
His  influence  it  is  that  makes  the  truth  of  God's  being 
and  God's  excellence  a  comforting  truth  to  the  Christian. 
The  Spirit  of  adoption  teaches  us  to  cry,  "  Abba, 
Father!"  He  endears  to  us  the  name  of  the  glorious 
God,  and  enables  us  to  breathe  it  with  loving  reverence 
and  holy  satisfaction.  The  thought  that  God  reigns, 
and  that  I  am  safe  under  the  care  of  omnipotent  Love, 
is  a  thought  which  the  Holy  Spirit  imparts  to  me.  He 
makes  this  truth  a  shining  reality  to  me.  He  brings 
home  to  me  the  teachings  of  the  Bible.  God's  promises 
are  sealed  to  me  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  enables  me  to 
read,  as  meant  for  my  own  encouragement  and  enlighten- 
ment, the  record  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  His  people 
in  former  days.  He  helps  me  to  look  believingly  and 
gratefully  to  Jesus,  the  sinner's  Saviour  and  the  mourn- 
er's Friend.  To  have  all  comfort  in  God,  who  is  the  God 
of  all  comfort,  I  need  but  to  open  my  heart  to  that 
blessed  Spirit  whose  very  name  is  The  Comforter.  O 
that  all  our  hearts  may  be  made  accessible  to  Him — that 
He  may  dwell  in  us  henceforth  and  forever  ! 


VII. 

THE   MIND   OF   CHRIST. 

I  Corinthians  ii.  l6. 
"  But  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ." 

There  is  a  meaning  that  lies  on  the  surface  of  these 
words,  and  that  accords  with  one  of  our  ordinary  forms 
of  expression.  By  the  mind  we  sometimes  understand 
the  thoughts,  impressions,  feelings,  or  what  is  in  the 
mind,  and  thus  "  the  mind  of  Christ  "  may  mean  the 
thoughts  and  sentiments,  the  opinions  and  the  judgments 
of  Christ,  These  are  made  known  to  us  in  the  Scriptures 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  we  have  them  as  they  are 
revealed  there,  and  as  we  have  learned  them  and  im- 
bibed them  from  that  source.  We  are  accustomed  to 
use  language  like  this  when  we  speak  of  possessing  the 
views  and  sharing  the  counsels  of  another.  A  statesman 
enjoying  the  confidence  of  his  sovereign,  is  said  to  have 
the  mind  of  the  sovereign  upon  questions  of  public  in- 
terest. A  student  capable  of  grasping  the  argument  of  a 
profound  work  may  be  said  to  have  the  mind  of  its 
author. 

It  is  much  to  be  able  to  say  this — if  this  be  indeed 
what  the  apostle  means  here  to  say — as  it  regards  the 
Christian  and  his  Redeemer.  We  possess  in  the  written 
word  of  God  a  statement  of  the  thoughts  and  sentiments^ 

i66 


THE  MIND   OF  CHRIST.  1 6/ 

the  purposes  and  the  judgments,  of  Him  whose  servants 
we  are,  and  whose  designs  we  are  endeavoring  to  carry- 
out.  His  mind,  upon  all  the  themes  of  vital  moment  that 
are  perpetually  coming  up  for  human  consideration,  is  the 
same  to-day  as  when  He  taught  on  earth,  or  communi- 
cated His  will  from  heaven  to  men  inspired  to  declare  it. 
We  have  His  thoughts  here  in  the  Bible  ;  and  when,  be- 
lievingly  and  adoringly,  we  read  the  Bible,  appropriating 
its  truths,  assimilating  them  by  faith,  and  so  making  them 
our  own,  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ ;  we  think  His 
thoughts  after  Him  ;  we  are  admitted  into  a  wonder- 
ful partnership  with  Him  in  His  wise  and  gracious  coun- 
sels. What  a  privilege  is  this  !  What  importance,  when 
we  look  at  it  in  this  light,  belongs  to  the  study  of  Scrip- 
ture, by  means  of  which  we  can  thus  come  into  posses- 
sion of  the  ideas  of  the  Divine  Teacher,  and  have  our  un- 
derstanding so  stored  with  His  words,  and  so  permeated 
by  the  spirit  of  His  teachings,  that  all  our  beliefs,  impres- 
sions, purposes  shall  be  shaped  and  vivified  by  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus  ! 

But  in  saying  this,  we  are  approaching  what,  I  think,  is 
a  deeper  meaning  of  our  text,  and  one  that  is  still  more 
instructive  and  suggestive.  The  mind,  in  man,  is  the 
thinking  faculty,  the  soul.  And  now  what,  according 
to  the  Bible,  does  the  grace  of  God  do  for  the  mind 
of  man,  when  it  becomes  the  subject  of  His  work  of 
grace  ?  A  change  is  wrought,  not  indeed  in  the  sub- 
stance, but  in  the  reigning  and  determining  dispositions 
of  the  soul.  The  purposes,  the  desires,  the  volitions, 
that  make  up  the  character,  the  moral  being,  are  dif- 
ferent from  what  they  were  before  that  work  of  grace 
began.  The  Christian,  in  this  sense,  is  a  new  man.  He 
has  experienced  what  the  Bible  calls  a  "  renewing  of  the 


1 68  SERMONS. 

mind."  He  has  acquired  "a  spiritual  mind,"  or  one  in 
sympathy  with  spiritual  things.  He  has  a  sober  mind,  a 
lowly  mind,  a  willing  mind.  He  is  of  one  mind  with  his 
fellow-Christians.  This  work  of  renewal,  of  moral  recon- 
struction, is  wrought  according  to  a  pattern,  and  that 
pattern  is  the  mind  of  Christ.  So  far  as  the  Christian 
responds  to  the  operation  of  almighty  grace  upon  him, 
he  becomes  Christlike  in  the  dispositions  of  his  soul. 
Not  sinless  ;  not  free  from  the  liability  to  mistake  and 
error;  yet  sustaining,  in  his  sympathies  and  affections, 
his  ruling  desires  and  aspirations,  a  positive  and  an  un- 
mistakable resemblance  to  his  Lord.  He  has  gained  the 
faculty,  and  he  is  forming  the  habit,  of  looking  at  things 
as  Christ  regards  them.  Life  has  the  same  significance  to 
his  eyes  that  it  had  to  the  eyes  of  Christ.  The  great  ends 
of  human  existence  are  in  his  view  just  what  they  were  to 
Christ's  view.  All  moral  distinctions  are  to  him  what 
they  were  to  Christ.  His  estimate  of  sin  and  of  right- 
eousness is  none  other  than  his  Saviour's.  The  claims  of 
duty  are  to  him  what  they  were  to  Jesus.  The  whole 
subject  of  trial,  of  sorrow,  of  suffering,  wears  to  him  the 
aspect  that  it  wore  to  Christ.  His  outlook  upon  the 
future  is  Christ's  outlook.  His  impressions  of  death 
and  eternity  correspond  with  the  impressions  of  these 
realities  that  lay  in  the  mind  of  Christ.  In  this  import- 
ant sense  he  may  be  said  to  have  the  mind  of  Christ. 
The  thinking  faculty  in  the  man  who  has  become  the 
subject  of  God's  grace  is  "  renewed,  after  the  image  of 
Him  that  created  him."  Distantly,  indeed,  imperfectly,  in- 
deed, yet  really,  nevertheless,  it  reflects  the  lineaments  of 
God's  dear  Son.  It  is  "  the  same  mind  that  was  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

Now,  taking  this  to  be  the  apostle's  meaning,  we  can 


THE  MIND   OF  CHRIST.  1 69 

well  understand  with  what  satisfaction  he  makes  the 
statement  of  our  text,  as  a  ground  for  clinging  to  his 
convictions  of  truth  and  duty,  when  assailed  by  the 
enemies  of  the  Gospel.  It  had  been  brought  up  against 
him,  that  he  was  wanting  in  scholarship  and  culture,  and 
in  the  graces  of  style  and  oratory.  Among  the  Greeks, 
the  most  polished  and  the  most  intellectual  people  of 
that  age ;  and  in  Corinth,  the  chief  city  of  Greece  at  that 
day,  as  the  home  of  philosophy,  and  eloquence,  and  art, 
St.  Paul  was  charged  by  some  who  had  nominally  em- 
braced the  Gospel,  with  narrowness  of  thought  and  rude- 
ness of  speech.  They  compared  him  unfavorably  with 
certain  other  teachers,  as  Apollos,  for  example,  who  had 
the  advantage,  as  they  deemed  it,  of  a  training  in  the 
logic  and  rhetoric  of  the  heathen  schools.  St.  Paul  made 
no  show  of  learning.  He  laid  no  claim  to  practical  elo- 
quence. He  disregarded  the  established  methods  of 
reasoning.  His  preaching,  consequently,  was  to  the 
learned  and  the  cultivated  among  the  heathen,  "  foolish- 
ness," without  attraction  to  their  taste,  without  recom- 
mendation to  their  reason.  These  charges  were  made 
in  order  to  weaken  the  apostle's  authority  as  a  religious 
teacher.  Because  he  did  not  resort  to  the  "  wisdom  of 
this  world  "  to  embellish  and  enforce  his  preaching;  be- 
cause he  did  not  deck  it  with  flowers  of  rhetoric  and 
gems  of  classic  learning  ;  because  he  did  not  interweave 
it  with  the  doctrines  which  human  reason,  unaided  by 
any  Divine  revelation,  had  sought  out,  and  which  human 
reason  delighted  to  pursue  and  to  contemplate,  Paul's 
enemies  argued  that  he  was  undeserving  of  the  confi- 
dence and  obedience  of  the  Corinthian  Church.  The 
apostle  in  replying  to  these  accusations,  does  not  at- 
tempt to  claim  credit  for  the  endowments  in  which  he 


1 70  SERMONS. 

was  said  to  be  lacking — scholarship,  or  eloquence,  or  em- 
inent reasoning  powers.  He  grants  all  that  has  been  said 
on  this  score  by  those  who  denied  his  apostleship.  He 
was  no  philosopher,  no  orator,  no  rhetorician.  He  calls 
on  the  Corinthians  themselves  to  bear  evidence  that  he 
had  made  no  pretension  of  this  kind  while  with  them. 
"And  I,  brethren,  when  I  came  to  you,  came  not  with 
excellency  of  speech  or  of  wisdom,  proclaiming  unto  you 
the  mystery  of  God.  For  I  determined  not  to  know  any 
thing  among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 
And  I  was  with  you  in  weakness  and  in  fear,  and  in  much 
trembling.  And  my  speech  and  my  preaching  were  not 
with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power."  He  had  never  affected 
to  be  what  some  denounced  him  for  failing  to  be.  He 
was  no  philosopher,  no  orator,  no  rhetorician.  But  he 
was  a  witness.  At  this  point,  and  with  this  claim,  Paul 
turns  upon  his  accusers.  If  he  had  not  proved  himself 
versed  in  human  learning,  he  had  proclaimed  divine  and 
everlasting  truths,  such  as  human  wisdom  could  not 
attain.  If  he  had  not  dealt  in  arguments  and  specula- 
tions such  as  the  wise  of  this  world  were  pleased  to  use, 
his  preaching  had  been  accompanied  by  the  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  working  conviction  of  saving 
truth  in  hearts  that  admitted  those  influences.  "  How- 
beit,"  he  adds,  "we  speak  wisdom  among  them  that  are 
perfect."  Christianity  is  the  true  wisdom.  Its  truths  are 
glorious  and  precious  truths.  They  are  the  highest  and 
the  all-important  truths.  And  such  they  are  recognized 
to  be  by  those  whose  minds  have  been  savingly  enlight- 
ened to  believe  them,  renewed  and  purified  to  embrace 
them.  Without  this  enlightenment  and  renewal,  it  is 
impossible  to  know  and  prize  these  truths  as  they  deserve 


THE  MIND   OF  CHRIST.  I/f 

to  be  known  and  prized.  For  "the  natural  man  " — the 
unrenewed  man,  be  he  ever  so  intelligent  and  culti- 
vated— "  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;, 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned."  But  let  that  mind  be  cleared  of  the  corrup- 
tions that  defile  it,  the  prejudices  that  distort  it,  the  igno- 
rance upon  moral  and  eternal  themes  that  darkens  it ;  let 
it  be  brought  into  sympathy  and  likeness  with  the  mind 
of  the  sinless  and  holy  Son  of  God,  and  it  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  admitting  these  truths;  they  will  come  to  it 
with  self-evidencing  power.  And  so,  declares  the  apos- 
tle, so  it  is  with  us,  who  have  been  taught  by  the  Spirit, 
and  led  to  accept  Christ  as  our  Redeemer  and  our  Ex- 
ample. "  We  have  the  mind  of  Christ."  The  truths  of 
the  Gospel  are  to  us  what  they  are  to  Him.  They  affect 
us  as  they  affected  Him.  If  they  were  realities  for  Him, 
they  are  the  self-same  realities  for  us.  The  light  cast 
upon  them  in  the  Bible,  was  the  white  light  of  a  Divine 
revelation,  and  that  light  has  shined  into  our  hearts. 
"We  have  the  mind  of  Christ."  We  are  of  His  way  of 
thinking.  We  are  in  constant,  living  sympathy  with  Him. 
Sin  is  to  us  what  it  was  and  is  to  Him.  Holiness  is  to  us- 
what  it  was  and  is  to  Him.  Life,  and  death,  and  eter- 
nity, duty  and  destiny,  happiness  and  sorrow,  have  to  us 
the  significance  they  had  to  Him  when  on  earth,  and  have 
to  Him  now  in  heaven.  The  moral  principles  that  make 
up  the  fibre  of  our  moral  being,  are  identical  with  those 
that  were  proper  to  the  human  soul  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
We  bear  His  moral  image.  He  is  our  Wisdom.  Our 
highest  knowledge  is  to  know  Him. 

Now,  to  those  who  share  in  the  experience  of  the  apos- 
tle Paul,  and  who  may  adopt  his  language  on  this  subject^ 
it  cannot  appear  strange  that  he  should  easily  let  go 


172  SERMONS. 

«very  other  claim  and  cheerfully  consent  to  be  character- 
ized and  treated  by  the  Corinthians,  and  by  the  whole 
world  beside,  as  having  no  standing  whatever  in  the 
esteem  of  mankind  on  the  score  of  learning,  or  elo- 
quence, or  literary  skill.  What  if  he  could  have  boasted 
to  these  objectors  of  possessing  the  intellect  of  a  Socra- 
tes, a  Plato,  or  an  Aristotle,  when  he  could  say,  in 
common  with  all  those  of  like  precious  faith  with  him  : 
"  We  have  the  mind  of  Christ,"  For  notice  that  Paul 
does  not  stop  here,  as  he  does  in  another  epistle,  where 
he  is  arguing  with  Jewish  teachers,  to  dispute  the  asser- 
tions of  these  Corinthian  opposers,  and  to  show  that  on 
the  score  of  intellectual  qualifications — as  there  on  the 
score  of  Pharisaic  orthodoxy — he  might  have  somewhat 
to  answer  his  accusers.  He  does  not  stop,  as  when 
writing  to  the  Philippians,  to  say  :  "  Though  I  might 
also  have  confidence  in  the  flesh.  If  any  other  man 
thinketh  that  he  hath  whereof  he  might  trust  in  the 
flesh,  I  more."  And  yet  one  might  think  that  this  would 
be  the  very  place  for  a  defence  of  his  character  as  a  com- 
petent teacher  of  the  Gentiles,  similar  to  that  vindica- 
tion of  his  character  as  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  which 
we  read  in  the  third  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Phil- 
ippians. What !  Paul  inferior  to  the  sophists  and  rheto- 
ricians of  Corinth,  in  vigor  of  thought,  in  strength  of 
reasoning,  in  masterly  use  of  language  !  How  absurd 
the  charge !  But  he  does  not  stop  to  answer  it.  What 
cared  he  about  the  place  that  might  be  given  him  or  de- 
nied him  among  the  thinkers  and  the  writers  of  mankind 
when  he  could  say  of  himself,  and  of  his  fellow-believer  • 
"  We' have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God  ?     Which  things  also 


THE  MIND   OF  CHRIST.  1 75, 

we  speak,  not  in  the  words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth^ 
but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth.  For  we  have  the 
mind  of  Christ." 

Many  a  man  of  towering  intellect  has  felt  the  same 
satisfaction  that  Paul  felt  in  view  of  this  fact.  To  know 
Christ,  and  be  known  of  Him  ;  to  have  caught  His  spirit  ; 
to  have  come  into  living  sympathy  with  Him  ;  to  see  God 
and  Duty  and  Immortality  as  Christ  sees  them  and  has  re- 
vealed them  ;  this  for  the  wisest  as  for  the  simplest  under- 
standing, is  matter  of  supreme  rejoicing.  Gifts  of  genius 
and  stores  of  learning  sink  out  of  sight  when  compared 
with  this  attainment,  as  the  inequalities  of  a  hilly  region 
flatten  out  when  viewed  from  a  mountain  peak.  And  the 
wonderful  truth  implied  in  our  text,  is  that  this  privilege  is 
for  every  disciple  of  Jesus.  To  be  a  Christian  is  to  "  have 
the  mind  of  Christ."  It  is  to  receive  the  impress  of  his 
moral  character.  It  is  to  have  perceptions  of  truth,  con- 
victions of  duty,  motives  of  action,  hopes  and  joys  and 
consolations  that  are  Christlike. 

To  one  who  is  not  a  Christian,  such  a  result,  if  attain- 
able, if  conceivable,  must  certainly  appear  most  desirable. 
For  all  men  now  agree  in  their  estimate  of  the  character 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Scarcely  an  infidel  of  note 
can  be  named  who  has  not  left  on  record  his  tribute  to 
the  matchless  beauty  of  that  character  ;  while  among 
those  who  profess  to  believe  in  the  divine  origin  of  Chris- 
tianity, there  is  no  shadow  of  difference  on  the  subject. 
A  remarkable  testimony  to  this  fact  has  been  given 
recently.  In  the  Congress  of  Churches  at  Hartford — a 
meeting  of  leading  men  representing  most  of  the  reli- 
gious bodies  in  our  land — the  closing  and  crowning  dis- 
cussion related  to  the  divinely-human  character  of  Christy 
Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man  ;  and  here  all  voices  blended^ 


174  SERMONS. 

all  hearts  bowed,  in  adoring  praise  of  Him  who  is  the 
hope  and  the  glory  of  humanity.  Now  the  religion  of 
the  Gospel  has  for  its  avowed  aim  to  reproduce  the  char- 
acter of  Christ  in  man's  moral  nature.  Not  only  does  it 
hold  up  the  pattern  of  His  beautiful  perfection  to  be  ad- 
mired and  imitated  by  men,  but  it  makes  known  that 
Holy  Spirit  who  is  the  power  of  God  to  renew  the  hu- 
man heart  in  the  image  of  Christ  ;  who  grafts  into  the 
human  heart  the  life,  the  holiness,  the  benevolence  of 
the  Saviour.  This  is  the  errand  of  Christianity  ;  this  is 
the  business  of  the  Church ;  this  is  the  use  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry,  of  preaching,  of  the  sacraments,  of  prayer, 
of  Bible-reading  ;  this  is  the  work  of  missions,  home  and 
foreign  :  it  is  to  build  up  human  character  upon  the 
model  of  the  character  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  this,  Chris- 
tians believe,  is  what  the  forces  of  Divine  truth  and 
grace  are  concurring  with  these  instrumentalities  in  ac- 
complishing— renewing  sinful  and  ignorant  souls  in  the 
likeness  of  Jesus  the  Lord  ;  breathing  into  human  hearts 
His  purity.  His  gentleness,  His  love  of  the  truth.  His 
faith  in  the  things  unseen.  His  hatred  of  sin,  His  delight 
in  holiness,  His  boundless  benevolence.  His  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice.  Surely,  to  one  who  is  not  a  Christian,  such  a 
result  must  seem  most  desirable. 

But,  my  friends,  we  see  from  our  subject  that  a  Chris- 
tian must  necessarily  be  Christlike.  A  moral  resem- 
blance to  the  holy  Saviour,  is  what  religion  aims  to  pro- 
duce in  the  heart,  and  if  it  fails  to  accomplish  this,  it 
fails  entirely.  Our  text  implies  this;  and  elsewhere  the 
statement  is  made  in  the  strongest  terms.  "  If  any  man 
have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ," — His  Spirit,  dwelling  in  us, 
and  forming  in  us  His  character,  His  temper,  His  disposi- 
tion,— "he  is  none  of  His."     To  bear  the  Saviour's  name 


THE  MIND    OF  CHRIST.  1/5 

without  bearing  His  image,  means  nothing — worse  than 
nothing, — for  it  means  a  lie.  Have  we  "  the  mind  of 
Christ," — His  holy,  benevolent,  earnest,  believing  mind 
— His  meek  and  lowly,  compassionate  mind — His  sub- 
missive, obedient  mind  ?  It  is  the  surest  test  of  the 
reality  of  religion  in  our  hearts.  It  is  the  severest 
test :  but  reason  and  the  Bible  agree  in  declaring  that  it 
is  none  too  severe.  Nothing  less  than  a  similarity  of  moral 
character  to  Him  who  has  come  to  "redeem  us  from  all 
iniquity  and  purify  us  unto  Himself,"  would  correspond 
with  the  obvious  purpose  of  Christ  in  coming  to  seek  and 
to  save  sinners.  For,  according  to  the  Gospel,  character 
is  the  one  essential  thing.  Without  holiness,  no  man 
shall  see  God.  Only  the  pure  in  heart  are  blessed.  In 
Jesus  Christ,  rites  and  ceremonies,  names  and  professions, 
avail  nothing,  "  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love."  Char- 
acter is  every  thing,  says  the  Bible :  and  reason  echoes 
the  declaration.  Every  system,  every  method,  that  fails 
to  form  character  upon  a  noble  plan,  breaks  down  com- 
pletely. All  education,  all  civilization,  all  religion,  that 
does  not  accomplish  a  moral  renovation  in  man,  proves 
itself  insufificient.  The  Gospel  aims  to  transform  my 
heart  and  life,  by  bringing  me  to  know  Christ  as  my  Sav- 
iour, by  placing  before  me  Christ  as  my  Example  ;  by 
creating  within  me,  through  those  omnipotent  energies 
which  it  alone  reveals,  Christ  as  my  Life,  Christ  in  me, 
"the  hope  of  glory."  Now,  as  the  result  of  the  demon- 
stration of  this  work,  is  there  any  thing  in  me  of  percep- 
tible, recognizable  resemblance  to  the  character  of  God's 
dear  Son  ?  It  is  a  solemn,  a  searching,  an  urgent,  an  all- 
important  question. 

In  the  second  place,  we  may  see  from  our  subject  that 
the  Christian  should  study  to  be  Christlike.     This  is  the 


176  SERMONS. 

first  lesson  to  which  the  Master  calls  one  whom  He  would 
have  to  be  His  disciple:  "Learn  of  Me,  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart "  ;  and  it  is  the  lesson  of  the  Christian 
life  all  through.  You  may  feel  that  you  are  lamentably 
wanting  in  positive  and  extensive  resemblance  to  your 
Saviour.  So  often,  and  at  so  many  points,  you  fail  to  ex- 
hibit and  to  exercise  the  mind  of  Christ.  Especially,  it 
may  be,  you  are  conscious  of  this  failure  as  it  respects 
the  lowlier  virtues  of  which  He  has  given  you  the  ex- 
ample. It  is  with  reference  to  these  very  virtues  that  the 
Word  of  God  says  to  you,  "  Let  this  mind  be  in  you, 
which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus,  who,  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  but 
made  Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  Him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ; 
and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man.  He  humbled 
Himself  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross."  But  in  a  mind  so  jealous  of  its  own  glory 
as  yours,  so  anxious  to  compass  its  own  ends,  so  impa- 
tient under  rebuke,  so  quick  to  take  offence,  so  easily 
puffed  up  by  praise,  what  trace  is  there  of  the  Pattern, 
in  which  humility  was  not  less  conspicuous  than  holiness, 
and  gentleness,  patience,  pity,  forgiveness,  were  blended 
with  a  majesty  of  a  perfect  wisdom  and  a  matchless  intel- 
ligence? Alas,  you  feel  it,  while  still  you  venture  to 
hope  that  Christ  is  enthroned  in  your  affections,  that  you 
have  believed  and  do  believe  on  Him  as  your  Redeemer, 
and  do  desire  to  be  like  Him.  Then,  study  to  be  like 
Him.  This  is  the  work  to  which  God  invites  you  :  and 
it  is  a  work  in  which,  earnestly  pursuing  it,  you  shall 
find  success.  Train  yourself  in  Christlikeness.  There  is 
a  sense  in  which  this  is  to  be  done  co7isciously,  and 
another  sense  in  which  it  may  be  done  unconsciously. 
Fix  your  mind  intelligently  and   resolutely  upon   your 


THE  MIND   OF  CHRIST.  1 77 

high  and  glorious  Example.  Say  to  yourself,  Christ  was 
pure.  Like  Him,  I  will  trample  under  foot  the  lusts  of 
the  flesh  and  the  corruptions  of  the  world.  Say  to  your- 
self, Christ  was  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  I  will  school 
my  feelings  and  desires  to  a  lowliness  like  His.  Say  to 
yourself  Christ  was  benevolent,  I  will  give  myself  to 
works  of  usefulness  after  His  example.  Say  to  yourself, 
Christ  pleased  not  Himself  and  therefore  I  will  strive 
against  my  native  selfishness. 

So,  too,  the  Christian  may  be  unconsciously  coming  to 
have  more  and  more  fully  the  mind  of  Christ.  As  he 
cultivates  an  interest  in  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  in  the 
progress  of  God's  kingdom,  in  the  exercises  of  personal 
piety,  he  shall  enter  into  closer  and  closer  sympathy 
with  Jesus  ;  his  views  and  feelings  shall  approximate 
increasingly  his  Master's  ;  and  though  perhaps  his 
thoughts  will  be  more  occupied  with  the  humiliating  fact 
that  so  much  remains  in  him  that  is  unlike  Christ,  than 
with  the  joyful  truth  that  the  likeness  is  advancing,  there 
will  be  in  his  character  the  evidence  of  a  growing  con- 
formity and  coincidence  with  the  mind  of  Christ  ;  and  it 
may  be  that  when  least  he  expects  it,  the  message  will 
fall  upon  his  ear,  bidding  him  come  up  higher,  for  the 
work  of  grace  is  done,  and  the  disciple  shall  be  taken 
home  to  be  with  his  Lord.  O  Christian,  make  it  your 
aim  to  be  Christlike. 

And  then,  finally,  make  this  your  glory.  To  have  the 
mind  of  Christ  is  to  know  more,  upon  the  highest  and 
most  vital  themes  of  human  thought,  than  even  the  ripe 
wisdom  of  our  nineteenth  century  can  pretend  to  know. 
Paul,  in  the  presence  of  the  learning  and  culture  of  his 
age,  cried  :  "  Where  is  the  wise  ?  Where  is  the  scribe  ? 
Where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world  ?  Hath  not  God 
made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ?  "    "  The  wisdom 


178  SERMONS. 

of  this  world  !  "  It  could  tell  him  little  of  the  infinite 
God  ;  little  of  his  relations  to  God  as  His  creature  ; 
nothing  of  the  way  for  a  sinner  to  be  saved  ;  nothing 
of  an  immortality  beyond  the  grave.  It  could  do  little 
for  him,  to  help  him  in  the  path  of  self-improvement; 
nothing  to  renew  his  heart,  and  restore  in  him  the  lost 
image  of  his  Creator.  It  could  give  him  no  hope  of  ever- 
lasting life.  And  so,  in  the  presence  of  the  scholarship 
and  the  intellectual  culture  of  his  own  age,  Paul  gloried 
in  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  gloried  in  the  Gospel  of  Je- 
sus Christ  ;  gloried  in  the  assurance  that  Christians  have 
the  mind  of  Christ.  And  we,  my  brethren,  if  our  trust  is 
in  the  same  living  Son  of  God,  may  glory  not  less  than 
he  did,  in  the  unchangeable  truths  which  He  has  spoken 
to  our  souls.  In  the  clearest  light  of  this  age  of  scientific 
inquiry  and  discovery,  we  have  no  more  reason  than  Paul 
had  in  his  day,  to  shrink  from  avowing,  that  our  views  of 
life,  and  death,  and  eternity  are  Christ's  views  ;  that  we 
are  learners  at  His  feet  ;  that  our  noblest  ambition  is  to 
reproduce  His  character  in  our  hearts  and  lives.  Nay, 
rather,  in  a  day  when  that  matchless  character  more  than 
ever  before  looms  up  to  the  admiration  of  mankind,  and 
humanity,  more  clearly  than  ever  before,  recognizes  in 
Him,  whom  the  Jews  and  Greeks  of  Paul's  day  despised 
and  derided,  the  incomparable  beauty  of  a  spotless  excel- 
lence, let  us  glory  in  having  Christ  for  our  Pattern  ;  Christ 
for  the  Life  of  our  souls.  And  let  us  remember  that  the 
best  service  we  can  render  to  that  divine  Master,  who  is 
even  now  drawing  all  men  to  Himself,  as  the  centre  of 
all  human  interest,  is  so  to  believe  on  His  name,  to  breathe 
in  His  spirit,  to  copy  His  example,  that  we  shall  testify 
not  only  to  His  human  excellence,  but  also  to  His  divine 
power  to  renew  and  save  all  those  who  put  their  trust  in 
Him. 


VIII. 
JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED. 

Jeremiah  li.  50. 
"  Let  Jerusalem  come  into  your  mind." 

These  words  were  spoken  to  the  Jews  when  captives  in 
Babylon.  They  were  far  from  their  native  country.  The 
period  of  their  captivity  was  to  be  very  long.  Seventy 
years  must  be  accomplished  before  the  promise  of  God 
should  be  fulfilled  to  His  people  :  "  I  will  turn  away 
your  captivity,  and  I  will  gather  you  from  all  the  nations, 
and  from  all  the  places  whither  I  have  driven  you,  saith 
the  Lord ;  and  I  will  bring  you  again  into  the  place 
whence  I  caused  you  to  be  carried  away  captive."  But 
the  land  of  their  fathers  must  not  be  forgotten.  The 
prophet,  foretelling  to  the  Jews  their  reverses,  their  de- 
feat and  conquest  by  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  their  long 
banishment  from  home  bids  them,  notwithstanding,  "Re- 
member the  Lord  afar  off,  and  let  Jerusalem  come  into 
your  mind." 

We  shall  apply  these  words  to  Heaven.  "  Jerusalem 
which  is  above,"  says  the  apostle  Paul,  "  is  the  mother  of 
us  all."  "  I  saw,"  says  the  apostle  John,  "  the  holy  city, 
new  Jerusalem."  Heaven  is  the  city  of  God.  Heaven 
is  the  country  of  the  Christian.  Here  have  we  no  con- 
tinuing city,  but  we  seek  one  to  come.     Our  conversa- 

179 


l80  SERMONS. 

tion,  our  citizenship,  is  in  Heaven.  Much  of  what  the 
Bible  says  about  the  country  and  city  that  were  so 
sacred  and  dear  to  God's  ancient  people,  the  Jews,  is  re- 
corded there  for  our  good,  as  applicable  to  Heaven, 
the  inheritance  of  God's  children  now,  their  real  and 
everlasting  abode,  the  place  where  soon  they  are  to  be 
gathered  from  all  the  places  where  now  they  are  spend- 
ing the  years  of  their  exile  and  their  homeward  pilgrim- 
age. Giving  this  application — certainly  a  legitimate 
one — to  the  words,  how  well  may  we  heed  them,  and 
obey  them,  as  a  command  to  us,  "  Let  Jerusalem  come 
into  your  mind." 

First,  as  a  thought  welcomed.  Constituted  as  we  are, 
it  can  scarcely  be  otherwise  than  that  our  minds  much  of 
the  time  should  be  largely  occupied  about  present  con- 
cerns. Diligence  in  business  requires  this.  Fidelity  to 
duty  requires  it.  We  can  do  nothing  well  without  giv- 
ing full  attention  to  what  we  do.  The  Saviour  has  bid- 
den us  take  no  thought,  indulge  in  no  over-anxious  and 
tormenting  fears  for  the  morrow  ;  but  He  does  not  by 
this  teach  us  to  perform  the  labors  of  our  calling  listless- 
ly, mechanically,  with  our  thoughts  on  something  else 
than  the  occupations  before  us.  True,  it  is  a  fault  with 
many  that  they  devote  too  much  of  their  time  to  what 
are  called  secular  pursuits.  Business  toils  and  cares 
crowd  into  a  space  altogether  too  narrow  the  season  that 
should  be  reserved  for  rest,  for  mental  culture,  for  home 
enjoyments,  and  especially  for  secret  prayer  and  public 
worship.  Less  of  hurry,  less  of  intense  and  protracted 
exertion,  less  of  wearing  solicitude  about  earthly  inter- 
ests, there  ought  indeed  to  be  :  and  more  of  moderation 
in  the  pursuit  of  gain,  more  of  contentment  with  such 
things  as  men  have.     And  still,  while  shunning  excessive 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED.  l8l 

devotion  to  the  things  of  time,  men  must  bend  their  full 
energies  to  their  work.  The  precept  of  the  Bible  applies 
to  the  labors  of  the  daily  calling,  to  the  duties  of  the 
shop,  the  office,  the  farm,  the  school-room,  as  well  as  to 
those  that  are  distinguished  as  sacred  or  religious; 
'*  Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy 
might."  Bible  saints  are  our  examples  for  industry,  for 
painstaking,  conscientious,  persevering  effort  in  week-day 
avocations,  no  less  than  for  earnestness  in  holy  things. 
If  Paul  the  tent-maker  labored  with  his  own  hands,  as 
again  and  again  he  tells  us  that  he  did,  working  night 
and  day,  not  only  to  support  himself,  but  also  minister- 
ing to  the  wants  of  his  companions  in  the  Gospel  serv- 
ice, surely  he  gave  all  diligence  to  his  work.  And  surely, 
of  the  years  that  Paul's  Lord  and  Master  spent  at  the 
carpenter's  trade,  we  need  not  be  told  that  they  were 
years  of  industry  ;  that  whatsoever  He  did,  He  did  it 
heartily,  as  to  His  Father  in  Heaven. 

Now,  under  this  necessity  of  toil  and  care  about  the 
things  of  time,  let  Jerusalem — let  Heaven,  the  better 
country,  the  rest  that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God — 
come  into  your  mind  as  a  thought  welcomed  ;  a  thought 
breaking  the  train  of  earthly  thought,  forcing  or  rather 
enticing  the  soul  away  from  earthly  solicitudes  :  a  blessed 
interruption  to  the  schemes  that  occupy  the  brain,  and 
the  anxieties  that  burthen  the  heart.  Let  it  come,  as  the 
thought  of  home  comes,  to  visit  and  refresh  the  soul  of 
one  who  is  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  or  of  one  who, 
but  a  little  way  from  his  loved  abode,  is  at  his  work-day 
task  until  the  evening  hour.  Let  it  be  so  with  you,  that 
like  a  gleam  of  Heaven's  own  glory,  the  thought  of  Heaven 
shall  shine  into  your  mind,  casting  upon  the  humblest 
and  dullest  of  your  earthly  pre-occupations  a  cheerful 


1 82  SERMONS. 

light,  and  enabling  you  to  pursue  your  present  duty  more 
bravely,  more  hopefully. 

Secondly,  as  a  thought  cherished.  The  Jews,  when 
carried  away  in  captivity  to  Babylon,  were  commanded 
to  make  the  best  of  their  condition,  and  instead  of  sink- 
ing into  despair  and  apathy,  to  engage  in  manful  efforts 
to  bear  up  under  their  heavy  lot.  We  are  apt  to  picture 
them  always  as  they  are  represented  in  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-seventh  Psalm  :  "  By  the  rivers  of  Baby- 
lon, there  we  sat  down;  yea,  we  wept,  when  we  remem- 
bered Zion :  we  hanged  our  harps  upon  the  willows." 
Doubtless,  they  had  many  such  moments  of  dejection  and 
sorrow ;  but  their  captivity  was  to  be  spent  in  a  very 
different  way  from  this.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  :  "  Build  ye 
houses,  and  dwell  in  them  ;  and  plant  gardens,  and  eat 
the  fruit  of  them.  And  seek  the  peace  of  the  city  whither 
I  have  caused  you  to  be  carried  away  captives,  and  pray 
unto  the  Lord  for  it  ;  for  in  the  peace  thereof  shall  ye 
have  peace."  Now,  in  the  midst  of  these  employments, 
the  thought  of  Jerusalem  was  to  be  welcomed  ;  and  in 
order  to  be  welcomed,  it  was  to  be  cherished.  How  dear 
to  those  captive  exiles  must  the  hours  of  the  Sabbath 
have  been,  when,  if  permitted  by  their  heathen  masters, 
they  could  give  up  the  whole  sacred  time  to  duties  that 
carried  them  in  recollection  and  in  desire  to  Zion,  the 
city  of  their  holy  solemnities;  or  when,  even  in  the  midst 
of  compelled  labors,  they  could  dwell  in  imagination  and 
in  prayerful  longings  upon  the  themes  they  loved  !  How 
sweet  to  them  must  have  been  the  moments  which  they 
could  daily  snatch  from  toil,  and  spend  in  reading  or  in 
calling  to  mind  the  Law — the  little  which  they  possessed, 
comparatively,  of  the  Bible,  yet  so  unspeakably  precious 
to  them,  as  the  Word  of  their  King  and  God,  as  the  stat- 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED.  1 83 

utes  and  the  ordinances  of  their  native  land  !  Many  be- 
lieve that  the  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Psalm  was 
written  during  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  that  it  ex- 
presses the  affection,  strengthened  by  the  very  trials  of 
exile  and  slavery,  which  the  Jews  entertained  for  God's 
holy  Word  while  far  from  Jerusalem.  But  whether  writ- 
ten then  or  earlier,  the  sentiments  of  that  psalm  were  in 
their  hearts.  And  as  they  sang  of  the  excellence  of  the 
Bible,  they  thought  of  Jerusalem.  They  cherished  the 
remembrance  of  the  worship,  the  fellowships,  the  holy 
joys  they  had  once  shared  in  the  city  of  their  God. 

My  brethren,  we  have  the  means  of  keeping  in  mind 
the  thought  of  Heaven  :  and  it  is  for  our  happiness  and 
our  growth  in  grace  that  we  make  good  use  of  them.  Let 
Jerusalem,  the  home  above,  come  into  your  minds,  and 
be  held  therein  loving  contemplation,  on  this  blessed  day 
of  the  Sabbath.  It  is  a  day  given  us  expressly  to  fore- 
shadow the  rest  that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God. 
And  all  the  influences  of  the  Sabbath  are  influences  fitted 
to  train  our  thoughts  and  affections  upward  to  that  world 
on  high.  Properly  to  observe  the  Sabbath,  is  to  be  pre- 
paring for  Heaven.  If,  like  John,  we  are  in  the  Spirit  on 
the  Lord's  day,  we  shall  be  like  him,  in  sympathy  with 
the  things  above — with  the  glorious  objects  and  the  holy 
beings  in  the  heavenly  world  ;  and  we  shall  be  getting 
ready,  not  for  the  privilege  of  seeing  these  things  as  he 
did  when  in  the  isle  called  Patmos,  in  a  vision,  but  to  go 
and  dwell  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  possess  the  reality 
of  all  that  glory  and  gladness  forevermore.  Can  we  af- 
ford to  lose  any  part  of  the  blessing  that  is  provided  for 
us  in  the  Sabbath  ?  Do  we  not  need  to  cherish  its  hal- 
lowing and  peace-giving  influences,  to  the  utmost  ?  There 
are  some  who  seem  to  think  it  enough  to  spend  the  hour 


1 84  SERMONS. 

or  the  hour  and  a  half  occupied  by  the  morning  services 
of  the  Lord's  day,  in  the  house  of  God.  Is  this  wise, 
brethren  ?  Are  you  sorely  beset  and  burthened  by  the 
affairs  of  daily  life  through  the  week  ;  and  do  you  not  all 
the  more  require  to  have  your  souls  brought  in  contact 
with  God's  truth,  through  that  ministration  of  His  word 
which  He  has  appointed,  that  they  may  be  refreshed  and 
stimulated  and  quickened  by  prayer  and  praise  and  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  ?  For  my  own  part,  there  is  no 
portion  of  the  Lord's  day  that  seems  to  me  so  redolent 
of  Heaven,  as  the  hour  toward  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
when  we  meet  once  more  in  these  courts  of  the  sanctu- 
ary ;  once  more  to  think  and  hear  of  sacred  things,  and 
to  look  out  from  the  closing  services  of  the  day's  worship, 
into  the  coming  and  closing  hours  of  life's  toilsome  day ; 
and  to  lift  up  the  prayer  that  its  departing  ray  may — 

"  Be  calm  as  this  impressive  hour, 
And  lead  to  endless  day." 

Let  the  thought  of  Heaven  and  heavenly  things  be 
cherished.  Not  only  welcomed,  as  it  shall  intrude  upon 
the  mind,  even  in  the  multitude  of  the  thoughts  within 
us  that  relate  to  earthly  interests,  but  cherished,  enter- 
tained, during  the  sacred  hours  that  may  be  wholly 
taken  from  the  world  and  given  to  holy  things. 

Thirdly,  as  a  restraining  thought.  The  Jews,  during 
their  captivity,  lived  in  a  land  far  more  wealthy  than 
their  own  ;  amidst  a  population  that  vastly  outnumbered 
that  of  Judea,  and  whose  great  city  Babylon  surpassed  all 
other  cities  in  magnificence  and  power.  In  that  country 
they  enjoyed  a  considerable  measure  of  outward  prosper- 
ity. Though  captives,  they  were  not  held  as  slaves,  but 
rather,  it  would  seem,   as  colonists.     Opportunities    of 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED,  1 85 

growing  rich  and  of  rising  to  positions  of  influence  and 
distinction  were  theirs.  Not  only  could  they,  as  we  have 
seen,  build  houses  and  plant  gardens  and  live  in  ease  and 
comfort,  though  exiles  in  a  heathen  land,  but  some  of 
them — like  Daniel,  and  at  a  latter  day  Ezra,  Mordecai, 
and  Nehemiah — became  eminent  as  statesmen,  admitted 
to  the  confidence  of  kings  and  princes.  Such  prosperity 
must  have  had  its  dangers.  What  was  there  to  prevent 
these  Jews  from  becoming  entirely  assimilated  to  the 
heathen  ;  from  losing  their  national  character,  and  set- 
tling down  into  a  permanent,  contented  state  of  subjection 
to  the  laws  and  customs  of  Babylon?  But  the  word  of 
the  Lord  came  to  them,  saying :  "  Ye  that  have  escaped 
the  sword  ....  remember  the  Lord  afar  off,  and 
let  Jerusalem  come  into  your  mind."  "  Ever  count  your- 
selves as  strangers  and  sojourners  in  that  foreign  land. 
Be  ready  at  the  appointed  time  to  leave  all  that  you  have 
there,  and  come  away.  Remember  your  God,  and  let 
Jerusalem  come  into  your  mind."  It  was  a  restraining 
thought.  Why  should  they  bestow  excessive  and  ab- 
sorbing care  upon  interests  from  which  in  a  little  while 
they  shall  be  called  to  detach  themselves?  Why  should 
they  greatly  grieve  if  things  should  not  go  so  well  with 
them  as  with  some  of  their  brethren  ;  if,  unlike  Daniel 
and  his  three  companions  at  court,  they  should  lead  ob- 
scure and  unadventurous  lives,  meeting  with  little  suc- 
cess in  worldly  fortunes,  and  experiencing  many  rebuffs 
and  defeats?  Soon  they  will  all  be  on  their  way  home  ; 
home  to  the  city  they  love ;  no  more  strangers  and 
foreigners,  but  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints  and  of  the 
household  of  God.  So  the  Christian.  The  thought  of 
his  tieavenly  home,  his  better  country,  should  be  with 
him  as  a  restraining  thought.     It  is  a  thought  of  great 


1 86  '  SERMONS. 

power  to  check  him  in  the  feverish  pursuit  of  worldly 
good  ;  to  hold  him  back  from  scenes  and  courses  of  action 
that  are  out  of  keeping  with  his  hopes  and  prospects  as  a 
citizen  of  Heaven  ;  to  call  him  away  from  the  perilous 
entanglements  of  a  life  of  pleasure.  Let  a  man  try  to 
keep  fresh  in  his  mind  every  day,  by  means  of  prayer 
and  Bible  truth,  and  sober  reflection,  thoughts  like  these  : 
"  I  am  a  member  of  God's  family  and  kingdom  ;  my 
citizenship  is  in  Heaven  ;  what  I  value  most  awaits 
me  there ;  I  am  living,  not  endlessly  to  enjoy  these 
earthly  blessings,  but  in  preparation  for  my  removal  to 
yonder  holy  and  happy  place  ;  my  name  is  written  among 
its  inhabitants;  I  must  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation 
wherewith  I  am  called  ;  to-morrow  I  may  be  summoned 
to  join  the  company  of  those  who  walk  with  Christ  in 
white  "  ;  and  he  will  be  safe.  We  read  of  Daniel  that  in 
the  house  where  he  dwelt  in  Babylon  he  had  a  room 
whose  windows  looked  out  toward  Jerusalem,  where 
three  times  a  day  he  kneeled  and  prayed.  A  Christian 
may  be  lifted  up  into  a  position  surrounded  with  great 
dangers  to  the  soul ;  where  many  before  him  have  been 
spoiled  by  flattery,  ambition  and,  pride.  But  if  accustomed 
day  by  day  to  turn  his  thoughts  heavenward,  and  engage 
in  communion  with  the  things  unseen,  he  will  be  preserved 
steadfast  in  his  faith  and  hope. 

Again,  as  a  comforting  thought,  Jerusalem  came  into 
the  mind  of  the  exiled  Hebrew  with  sadness,  because  the 
city  lay  desolate;  but  yet  with  comfort,  for  the  promise 
of  the  Lord  was  sure,  that  her  walls  should  be  built  again. 
And  when  the  seventy  years  of  their  captivity  should  be 
ended,  the  people  would  return  ;  the  former  glories  of 
Zion  should  be  renewed  ;  and  there  generations  yet  un- 
born should  meet  for  joyful  worship.     Nothing  of  sadness 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED.  1 8/" 

can  mingle  now  with  the  believer's  thoughts  of  his  eter- 
nal home.  He  is  looking  for  a  city  which  hath  founda- 
tions, whose  Builder  and  Maker  is  God.  There  is  nothing 
but  comfort — unspeakable  comfort — in  his  imaginings, 
faint  and  defective  as  they  must  needs  be,  of  the  heavenly 
rest,  of  the  holiness,  the  peace,  the  communion,  the  glori- 
ous activity  of  Heaven.  The  trouble  is,  brethren,  that 
we  so  little  seek  to  avail  ourselves  of  this  blessed  source 
of  consolation.  We  do  not  let  it  in,  as  a  vast  flood  of 
light,  upon  the  soul.  It  is  too  much  with  us  in  respect 
to  the  spiritual  as  in  respect  to  the  visible  heavens.  How 
little  do  we  enjoy  the  beauty  that  God  has  spread  over 
our  dwellings,  over  city  and  country,  in  the  skies  above  \ 
How  seldom  do  men  look  up  and  see  and  delight  in  those 
glories  of  the  firmament  that  so  fitly  represent,  in  their 
purity  and  splendor  and  measureless  depth,  the  world 
unseen  !  Oh,  if  the  child  of  God  would  live  here  in  more 
habitual  contemplation  of  his  eternal  home,  how  constant 
and  how  full  would  be  his  peace !  Let  us  remember  how 
the  Saviour  has  presented  this  thought  to  us  as  the  chief 
element  of  consolation  for  His  people:  "  Fear  not,  little 
flock  :  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the 
kingdom."  And  again  :  "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled  ; 
in  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions."  O  brethren,, 
that  in  every  hour  of  care  and  of  sorrow  we  might 
think  of  that  heavenly  home,  its  purity,  its  rest,  its  joy  I 
Are  we  grieving  under  earthly  losses  ?  What  a  glorious 
compensation  for  them  is  at  hand,  in  the  meetings  never 
more  to  part,  in  the  holy  and  happy  societies  of  the  re- 
deemed ;  best  of  all,  in  going  to  be  with  Christ !  During 
the  long  captivity  of  the  Jews  in  Babylon,  most  of  those 
who  had  come  out  from  the  Holy  Land  must  have  died  ; 
and  at  length  but  few  could  have  been  remaining  who 


188  SERMONS. 

had  ever  seen  Jerusalem,  and  to  whom  the  thought  was 
a  personal  and  definite  recollection.  To  the  rest  it  was 
an  object  of  faith  and  not  of  sight.  They  believed  in 
that  city  which  they  had  never  seen.  They  loved  it, 
though  they  had  never  looked  even  on  its  ruins,  much 
less  on  its  former  glories.  Brethren,  it  is  the  same,  and 
yet  how  different  with  us!  Our  Christian  friends  who 
have  left  us  have  gone  to  be  with  Christ.  Instead  of 
carrying  away  with  them  all  the  evidence  that  we  pos- 
sessed regarding  that  Jerusalem  which  they  loved,  they 
have  gone  to  dwell  there,  to  inhabit  that  blessed  place, 
and  to  make  it  more  real  to  us,  and  more  truly  ours. 
The  number  of  our  friends  that  have  seen  the  holy  city, 
instead  of  becoming  less  and  less,  is  growing  more  and 
more.  With  many  of  us  it  is  fast  coming  to  be  true  that 
we  have  more  in  Heaven  than  on  earth  of  those  endeared 
to  us  by  strong  and  sacred  ties  of  affection.  There  is 
comfort  for  the  Christian  in  the  thought.  Let  Jerusalem 
<:ome  into  your  mind  as  a  home  which  Christ  is  preparing 
for  you  by  enriching  it  with  the  presence  of  many  who 
will  be  there  to  greet  you  ;  a  home  where  Jesus  Himself 
awaits  your  coming  :  and  where  seeing  Him  and  so  many 
loved  ones  who  are  already  with  Him,  you  will  instantly 
feel  at  home. 

But  again,  we  need  this  thought  just  as  much  as  a 
quickening,  inspiring  one,  to  urge  us  on  in  duty  ;  to  stim- 
ulate us  to  active  effort.  Men  labor  very  willingly  for  a 
few  years,  with  the  expectation  of  securing  a  competency 
for  themselves  and  their  families,  and  then  leaving  off 
their  arduous  toil,  to  enjoy  ease  and  rest.  But  perhaps 
the  best  work  a  man  can  do  is  done  when  a  man  is  actu- 
ated by  some  high  and  noble  purpose  to  accomplish  a 
great  mission  of  usefulness  to  his  fellow-men,  and  at  the 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED.  1 89 

same  time  is  placed  by  the  kindness  of  others  in  a  posi- 
tion to  pursue  that  work  without  any  necessity  to  make 
provision  for  future  days.  A  benefactor  has  said  to  him, 
Dismiss  every  anxiety  about  the  future  ;  I  will  see  to  it 
that  you  and  your  children  shall  not  come  to  want.  Give 
yourself  wholly  to  your  work.  Fulfil  the  lofty  mission  to 
which  you  feel  yourself  called,  without  a  fretting  care  as 
to  the  days  to  come — the  time  when  your  strength  shall 
fail,  and  your  few  resources  shall  be  exhausted.  Breth- 
ren, he  who  sets  out  to  live  for  the  glory  of  God  has  a 
promise  more  precious  than  this.  He  is  made  sure  of  an 
inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not 
away.  How  it  may  be  with  him  during  the  last  years  of 
life — the  years  of  feebleness  and  dependence,  he  may  not 
certainly  know  ;  he  can  trust  God  for  that.  But  he  does 
know  that  for  the  endless  ages  of  eternity  He  has  secured 
to  him  a  glorious  home,  revenues  of  inexhaustible  happi- 
ness, associations  most  congenial  and  blessed,  employ- 
ments unspeakably  delightful  and  exalting.  Let  this 
come  into  his  mind,  to  quicken  him  in  his  service  for  Je- 
sus now.  O  believer,  you  are  lifted  up  by  God's  prom- 
ise into  a  privilege  of  perfect  freedom  from  all  uneasiness 
with  reference  to  the  long  ages  of  eternity  !  "  To  them 
who  by  patient  continuance  in  well-doing  seek  for  glory 
and  honor  and  immortality,  eternal  life."  God  has  said 
it.  Cherish  this  thought  while  you  work  for  Jesus.  Do 
not  begrudge  the  labors  you  can  perform  or  the  sacrifices 
you  can  make  for  His  cause.  Do  not  ask  release  from 
them  that  you  may  take  your  ease  in  this  life,  and  spare 
yourself  further  fatigues  and  self-denials  because  you 
have  done  something  for  the  Master  heretofore.  Rejoice 
to  think  that  you  have  Heaven  for  the  place  and  eternity 
for  the  season  of  your  rest  from  all  that  is  wearisome  in 


190  SERMONS. 

the  labors  of  earth.  Let  the  thought  quicken  you  to  dili- 
gence. Let  it  spur  you  on  to  more  earnest  effort.  Your 
rest  is  not  here.  But  your  opportunity  for  serving 
Christ  and  blessing  men  is  here. 

Once  more — as  a  solemnizing  thought.  Let  Jerusa- 
lem come  into  your  mind,  to  influence  you  in  your  esti- 
mate of  every  thing  that  surrounds  you  now  ;  to  affect 
your  judgment,  and  your  decisions  as  to  all  present  inter- 
ests and  relations.  With  Zion  in  his  memory  and  in  his 
heart,  how  would  the  captive  Israelite  look  on  all  the 
pomp  and  glory  of  that  kingdom  where  he  was  spending 
the  years  of  his  exile  ?  How  would  he  watch  the  passage 
of  those  years  ?  Time,  to  him,  was  the  measuring  out  of 
the  season  of  his  sojourn  there,  till  the  expected  end  and 
the  journey  home.  Business,  the  building  of  houses,  and 
planting  of  gardens,  and  management  of  property,  was 
but  the  temporary  occupation  that  was  to  fill  up  those 
years  of  waiting,  until  the  real  and  all-important  occupa- 
tions of  a  settled  life  should  begin,  in  that  country  that 
was  very  far  off,  yet  ever  remembered  and  longed  for. 
The  pleasures  of  sin,  the  rewards  of  wickedness,  the  things 
that  would  tempt  the  exile  to  deny  his  God  and  renounce 
his  country, — in  view  of  all  these,  the  captive  could  say : 
■**  If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget 
her  cunning;  if  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue 
cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth."  We  need  this  thought, 
to  make  us  sober  amid  the  frivolities,  and  calm  amid  the 
agitations  of  a  life  on  earth.  We  need  it,  to  moderate 
our  desires  for  earthly  good,  and  to  bring  us  into  growing 
sympathy  with  the  great  realities  of  the  world  to  which 
we  are  hastening.  This  is  no  feeling  of  dread,  no  feeling 
of  gloom  ;  but  it  is  a  serious  impression  of  the  importance 
of  the  life  to  come  ;  of  its  surpassing  importance  as  com- 


JERUSALEM  REMEMBERED.  I9I 

pared  with  this  life  ;  and  of  the  need  of  preparation  to 
enter  upon  it. 

Let  me  then  in  closing  urge  you  who  have  the  hope  of 
Heaven  in  your  hearts,  to  make  more  of  the  thought  of 
Heaven.  O  let  it  in  daily,  as  an  enlightening  and  cheer- 
ing ray  from  that  world  of  light.  Use  the  means  unspar- 
ingly to  cultivate  this  blessed  impression.  Prize  the 
hourly  and  daily  opportunities  that  are  yours,  to  deepen 
this  thought  in  the  soul.  Prize  the  Sabbath  ;  the  serv- 
ices of  the  Church  ;  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel ;  the  sac- 
raments, that  are  fitted  to  bring  it  to  mind.  Store  the 
memory  with  sacred  Scripture  and  sacred  song,  so  full  of 
the  thought  of  Heaven.  Profit  by  seasons  of  affliction 
and  times  of  religious  interest,  when  Heaven  seems  very 
near  to  the  soul.  And  live  a  life  in  tune  with  this 
thought  ;  in  keeping  with  this  blessed  hope. 

And  if  any  one  here  is  a  stranger  to  this  hope,  and  un- 
familiar with  this  thought  of  Jerusalem,  the  home  above, 
purchased  by  Jesus  for  all  that  will  believe  on  Him  and 
be  saved,  let  me  beseech  him  to  admit  it.  Admit  into 
your  heart,  dear  hearer,  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  who 
will  bring  to  you  this  blessed  hope,  this  glad  and  elevat- 
ing thought.  You  need,  just  as  much  as  the  Christian 
needs,  all  that  it  can  do  for  you.  You  need  to  welcome 
and  to  cherish  the  thought  of  a  heavenly  home  as  a  re- 
straining, comforting,  inspiring,  sobering  thought.  You 
have  often,  doubtless,  felt  what  the  poet  expresses  :  the 
conviction  that  it  is  not  wise  to  live  so  much  as  you  do, 
in  view  of  the  things  of  time  alone. 

"  The  world  is  too  much  with  us  ;  late  and  soon, 
Getting  and  spending,  we  lay  waste  our  powers  ; 
Little  we  see  in  nature  that  is  ours  : 
We  have  given  our  hearts  away,  a  sordid  boon. 


192  .  SERMONS. 

This  sea,  that  bares  her  bosom  to  the  moon, 
The  winds,  that  will  be  howling  at  all  hours, 
And  are  up-gathered  now  like  sleeping  flowers, 

For  this,  for  every  thing,  we  are  out  of  tune  : 

It  moves  us  not." 

And  oh,  how  much  more  out  of  sympathy  with  the 
things  of  the  unseen  world  ;  how  little  affected  by  them> 
and  how  unprepared  for  them  !  And,  nevertheless,  you 
are  hastening  to  meet  them.  The  thought  of  them 
might  be  to  you  now  a  precious  support  ;  might  be  to 
you  in  the  hour  of  death  a  sure  and  steadfast  hope.  Oh, 
let  this  thought  come  into  your  mind  !  Accept  Jesus  for 
your  Saviour.  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
this  day  salvation  shall  come  to  you. 


IX. 

THE  CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN. 

Joshua  xi.  23. 

"  So  Joshua  took  the  whole  land,  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  said  unto 

Moses." 

Joshua  xiii.  i. 

"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be 

possessed." 

[This  was   Dr.  Baird's  last  Lord's   Day  morning   discourse,    preached   at 
Rye,  January  30,  1887.] 

Both  of  these  statements  occur  in  the  account  of  the 
conquest  of  Canaan.  That  conquest  was  now,  in  a  cer- 
tain sense,  complete.  The  territory  on  either  side  of  the 
river  Jordan,  assigned  to  the  Israelites  for  their  inheri- 
tance, had  been  wrested  from  the  hands  of  the  heathen 
who  occupied  it.  On  the  east  side  of  the  river,  the  work 
was  achieved  by  Moses  shortly  before  his  death.  The 
kings  of  Heshbon  and  Bashan  were  defeated,  and  the 
region  afterwards  given  to  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad, 
and  a  part  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  was  taken  previous 
to  the  passing  of  the  people  over  Jordan.  On  the  west 
side,  the  work  was  accomplished  later  under  Joshua. 
The  strong  cities  of  Jericho  and  Ai  were  captured,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Gibeon,  another  important  town,  sub- 

193 


194  SERMONS. 

mitted  of  their  own  accord  to  the  invaders.  Two  battles, 
each  of  them  decisive  in  its  way,  followed  up  these  suc- 
cesses. In  the  battle  of  Beth-horon,  the  kings  of  South- 
ern Palestine  were  defeated  ;  and  the  victory  gained  on 
that  occasion  secured  to  the  Israelites  one  half  of  the 
country  promised  them.  In  the  battle  of  Merom,  far  up 
in  the  northern  extremity  of  the  land,  the  remaining 
forces  of  the  Canaanite  nations  were  met  and  vanquished, 
so  that  now  the  whole  district,  as  described  before  and 
to  Moses,  in  the  words  of  God  recorded  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  chapter  of  Numbers — the  land  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  mountains  of  Lebanon,  on  the  west  by  the 
great  sea,  on  the  south  by  the  land  of  Edom,  and  on  the 
east  by  the  territory  already  in  the  possession  of  the  tribes 
that  had  settled  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan — was 
subject  to  the  conquering  race.  "So  Joshua  took  the 
whole  land,  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses." 

It  is  in  close  connection  with  these  words,  which  form 
the  first  part  of  our  text,  that  we  find  the  other  state- 
ment which  we  have  coupled  with  it.  The  two  passages 
are  separated,  it  is  true,  by  an  entire  chapter  ;  but  you 
will  notice  that  the  intervening  chapter  consists  of  a  re- 
capitulation of  the  victories  gained  by  the  children  of 
Israel  in  the  course  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  Having 
ended  the  list,  the  sacred  historian  resumes  the  thread  of 
his  account  in  the  first  verse  of  the  thirteenth  chapter : 
"Now  Joshua  was  old,  and  stricken  in  years;  and  the 
Lord  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  old  and  stricken  in  years, 
and  there  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed." 
Thus  we  have,  side  by  side  as  it  were,  two  very  different, 
if  not  contrary  declarations  :  the  one,  afifirming  the  com- 
pleteness of  the  conquest  ;  the  other,  representing  it  as 


THE    CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  I95 

very  far  from  complete.  The  promise  made  to  Moses, 
that  the  people  of  God  should  acquire  the  whole  land  of 
which  He  had  spoken  to  their  fathers,  was  at  length  ful- 
filled;  yet  there  were  portions  of  that  land,  their  title  to 
which  was  contested,  and  over  which  their  power  did  not 
■extend.  "So  Joshua  took  the  whole  land,  according  to 
all  that  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  him,  There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be 
possessed." 

An  easy  mode  of  reconciling  these  two  statements  may 
perhaps  occur  to  the  Bible  reader.  Though  the  Israel- 
ites were  now  masters  of  Palestine,  they  had  hardly  begun 
to  occupy  this  new  domain.  The  situation  in  this  respect 
resembled  that  of  the  early  settlers  of  our  own  country. 
The  land  was  theirs;  yet  for  generations  the  tenure  by 
which  they  held  it  was  scarcely  more  than  nominal.  A 
continent  awaited  the  advance  of  the  superior  race,  be- 
fore whom  the  savage  tenants  of  the  wilderness  receded  ; 
but  the  sparse  population  made  slow  progress  in  the 
work  of  subduing  and  replenishing  the  earth:  and  at  the 
end  of  two  centuries  after  the  landing  of  the  pilgrims,  it 
might  be  said  of  the  country  which  they  had  obtained  for 
an  inheritance,  There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to 
be  possessed — that  is,  to  be  taken  up.  So  with  Palestine 
in  the  days  of  Joshua.  The  country  was  still  unoccupied 
and  unimproved.  The  task  of  dividing  it  among  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  defining  the  limits  of  each  inheri- 
tance, had  not  even  been  begun.  In  fact,  this  was  the 
duty  that  Joshua  was  now  called  to  undertake  without 
delay,  inasmuch  as  he  was  far  advanced  in  years,  and 
might  die  without  accomplishing  the  difficult  and  deli- 
■cate  work  of  distributing  the  land  among  the  tribes.  And 
we  find  that  the  rest  of  this  book  is  devoted  chiefly  to  an 


196  SERMONS. 

account  of  this  distribution,  each  tribe  obtaining  by  lot 
a  portion  of  the  land,  corresponding  in  situation  and  char- 
acter with  the  predictions  of  the  patriarch  Jacob  and  of 
their  leader  Moses. 

But  we  have  only  to  read  on  a  little  further  in  this 
thirteenth  chapter  of  Joshua,  and  we  shall  see  that  the 
text  refers,  not  to  the  fact  that  the  territory  taken  from 
the  conquered  nations  of  Canaan  was  still  unoccupied  by 
the  Israelites,  but  to  the  fact  that  there  were  consider- 
able portions  of  the  land  that  were  still  held  by  heathen 
as  yet  unconquered.  "This  is  the  land  that  yet  remain- 
eth,"  the  account  proceeds,  "all  the  borders  of  the  Phil- 
istines, and  all  Geshuri,  from  Sihor,  which  is  before 
Egypt,  even  unto  the  borders  of  Ekron ;  from  the  south, 
all  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  and  Mearah  that  is  beside 
the  Sidonians,  unto  Aphek,  to  the  borders  of  the  Amor- 
ites."  Along  the  sea-coast,  the  cities  of  Philistia,  in  the 
southwest  ;  and  the  cities  of  Phoenicia,  in  the  northwest ; 
had  not  submitted  to  the  armies  of  Israel.  The  moun- 
tain fastness  of  Jebus,  or  Jerusalem,  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  country,  was  untaken.  Farther  to  the  north,  certain 
towns  that  lay  within  the  territory  that  was  to  be 
assigned  to  Manasseh,  held  out  against  the  Israelites; 
and  in  the  extreme  north,  the  little  principality  of  Geshur, 
within  the  borders  of  the  same  tribe,  resisted  the  invader. 
It  was  with  reference  to  such  places  as  these,  compre- 
hended in  the  country  which  God  had  promised  to  give 
His  people,  but  still  unconquered,  that  the  statement 
was  made  :  "  There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be 
possessed."  In  one  sense,  the  possession  was  complete ; 
Palestine,  as  a  whole,  was  now  the  inheritance  of  God's 
people.  Israel  had  undisputed  sway.  Not  an  arm  was 
lifted  against  the  people  of    God.     In  all   that  region 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  I97 

there  was  none  to  molest  them  or  make  them  afraid. 
The  combined  forces  that  once  ruled  it,  and  that  met 
the  Israelites  with  fierce  resolution  when  they  entered  it, 
had  been  thoroughly  broken  and  dissipated ;  and  there 
was  no  fear  that  they  would  ever  gather  for  another  on- 
set. The  land  in  its  length  and  breadth  was  theirs.  Yet 
here  and  there,  upon  closer  examination,  there  might  be 
found  an  exception  to  this  general  statement.  Shut  up 
in  his  fenced  city,  or  intrenched  amid  the  rocks  of  some 
wilderness  retreat,  a  heathen  chieftain  maintained  an  ob- 
scure and  sullen  independence.  "  The  Canaanite  was 
still  in  the  land."  To  their  present  mortification,  and  to 
their  future  inconvenience  and  loss,  the  people  of  God 
must  realize  that  there  remained  very  much  land  to  be 
possessed. 

Let  us  see  now,  my  friends,  what  bearing  the  twofold 
statement  of  our  text  may  be  said  to  have  upon  the 
Christian  life.  For  the  Bible  clearly  warrants  us  in 
searching  the  history  of  God's  ancient  people,  the  Jews, 
to  find  illustrations  of  duty  under  the  Gospel.  "All 
these  things,"  we  are  told,  "  happened  unto  them  for  en- 
samples,  and  they  are  written  for  our  admonition,  upon 
whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come  " ;  for  us,  that  is, 
who  live  under  another  and  a  closing  dispensation.  And 
I  think  we  can  readily  perceive  the  applicability  of  the 
statement  before  us  to  the  Christian  life,  in  at  least 
three  respects.  First,  in  the  Dif^culty  presented  ;  sec- 
ondly, in  the  Explanation  of  that  difficulty;  and,  thirdly, 
in  the  Duty  to  be  inferred. 

The  Difficulty  presented  in  the  statement  concerning 
Canaan,  that  Joshua  took  the  whole  land,  as  God  had 
said  he  should  do,  and  that  notwithstanding  there  re- 
mained from  the  first  very  much  land  to  be  possessed. 


198  SERMONS. 

has  its  counterpart,  surely,  in  this  fact  concerning  the 
Christian  life,  that  the  Christian  has  become,  in  body, 
soul,  and  spirit,  the  property  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  nevertheless  so  much  needs  to  be  done  in  order 
to  bring  him  entirely  under  the  dominion  of  his  Saviour. 
Here  are  two  propositions,  neither  one  of  which  will  be 
questioned  for  a  moment.  As  to  the  former,  it  is  written 
out  in  clear  characters  on  the  pages  of  the  Gospel,  and  in 
characters  equally  clear  on  the  tablets  of  the  renewed 
heart.  Christians  are  the  property  of  Christ.  He  gave 
Himself  for  us,  that  He  might  redeem  us  from  all  in- 
iquity. "  Thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,"  said  the  angel 
of  the  annunciation,  "  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from 
their  sins."  Joshua  was  a  type  of  Christ,  in  name,  and 
ofifice,  and  work  ;  and  as  Joshua  led  the  people  into  the 
land  of  promise,  and  conquered  their  enemies  before  them, 
and  secured  to  them  the  whole  land  for  their  possession, 
so  Jesus,  the  second  Joshua,  leads  His  people  towards  the 
heavenly  Canaan — nay,  brings  them  even  now  into  a  pres- 
ent state  of  salvation,  delivers  them  from  their  spiritual 
foes,  and  transforms  their  entire  existence  from  one  of 
bondage  to  sin  into  one  of  blessed  freedom  and  safety, 
and  of  peace  with  God.  So  the  Bible  represents  it.  "  Ye 
were  the  servants  of  sin,  but  being  made  free  from  sin, 
ye  became  the  servants  of  righteousness."  Christians  are 
the  property  of  Christ.  "  Ye  are  bought  with  a  price." 
Your  body  and  your  spirit  are  His.  You  have  been  re- 
deemed by  Him  ;  and  to  love  Him,  obey  Him,  please  and 
glorify  Him,  in  all  your  thoughts  and  actions,  is  your  rea- 
sonable service.  So  the  Bible  declares  ;  and  to  these  Bi- 
ble sayings  the  soul  that  has  found  its  Saviour  returns  a 
glad  assent.  It  acknowledges,  freely  acknowledges  the 
obligation.     Every  truly  converted  man  has  done  this. 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  I99 

The  invariable  language  of  religious  feeling,  when  love  to 
Christ  and  faith  in  Christ  have  sprung  up  in  the  soul,  has 
been  the  language  of  self-surrender,  of  self-consecration. 
Utterances  like  those  that  we  often  repeat  in  favorite 
hymns  of  devotion,  breathe  in  prayer  from  the  lips  of  one 
who  has  learned  the  sweet  lesson  of  trust  in  a  Saviour 
crucified  for  him  : 

"  Lord,  I  am  Thine,  entirely  Thine, 
Purchased  and  saved  by  blood  divine  !  " 

"  Jesus  did  it  all  ! 
All  to  Him  I  owe." 

"  Here,  Lord,  I  give  myself  away, 
'T  is  all  that  I  can  do  !  " 

And  yet,  my  brethren,  what  astounding  contradictions 
does  the  Christian  life  often  present  to  these  strong  and 
surely  sincere  professions  !  How  shall  we  explain  it  to 
ourselves,  not  to  speak  of  others,  that  at  so  many  points 
this  nature  of  ours,  this  existence  of  ours,  that  we  have 
heartily  consecrated  to  Christ,  is  seen  to  be  so  little  un- 
der the  controlling  and  sanctifying  power  of  Christ? 
What  a  humiliating  surprise  to  discover,  in  some  experi- 
ence that  gives  opportunity  for  latent  qualities  to  display 
themselves,  in  some  moment  when  an  unexpected  light 
flashes  upon  the  character,  that  here,  selfishness  still  holds 
its  own  ;  that  there,  covetousness  lurks  ;  and  there,  world- 
liness  continues  undestroyed  !  What  does  it  mean,  when 
one  who  proclaims,  "  All  to  Christ  I  owe,"  satisfies  con- 
science by  casting  the  merest  pittance  into  the  Lord's 
treasury  ;  when  one  who  trusts  that  he  is  "  purchased  and 
saved  by  blood  divine,"  shows,  through  daily  infirmities 
of  temper,  that  the  grace  of  God  has  not  yet  developed 


200  SERMONS. 

in  him  a  Christlike  patience  and  gentleness  ;  or  one,  who 
thankfully  recalls  the  time  when  he  made  "  a  full  sur- 
render "  of  "  every  power  and  thought  "  to  his  Redeemer, 
cannot  be  persuaded  to  speak  a  word  for  the  Master,  or 
to  engage  in  any  of  the  various  works  of  usefulness  that 
need  his  help  ?  Here,  certainly,  is  a  difficulty  presented 
not  unlike  that  which  we  observe  in  the  history  of  the 
conquest  of  Canaan. 

The  Explanation  of  the  difficulty  will  be  found,  in  both 
cases,  in  the  neglect  of  means  and  opportunities.  Had 
the  Israelites  followed  up  the  enterprise  before  them  with 
the  vigor  that  they  displayed  in  its  earlier  stages,  they 
would  have  swept  every  trace  of  heathenism  and  every 
show  of  opposition  from  the  land.  The  cities  of  the 
Philistines  would  have  fallen  before  them  as  Jericho  and 
Ai  fell ;  and  the  idolatrous  Phoenicians  would  not  have 
remained,  to  be  as  thorns  in  their  sides,  and  to  ensnare 
them  into  the  worship  of  false  gods.  The  whole  land 
was  theirs,  to  be  possessed.  They  had  the  promise  of  di- 
vine help  and  blessing,  but  that  promise  was  conditioned 
on  their  faithfulness  and  obedience  to  the  Lord.  So  the 
Christian  must  work  out  his  own  salvation,  while  looking 
to  God  for  grace  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure, 
and  relying  upon  God  to  crown  his  efforts  with  success. 
He  has  the  great  encouragement,  that  in  his  whole  being 
and  nature  he  is  a  redeemed  man.  Body,  soul,  and  spirit, 
he  belongs  to  Christ.  The  sins  that  remain  in  his  heart 
have  no  right  there.  They  are  aliens  and  usurpers.  The 
entire  domain  of  his  affections  and  capacities  has  been 
claimed  for  the  empire  of  holiness  ;  and  by  every  motive 
of  duty  and  self-interest,  by  every  consideration  of  pro- 
priety and  of  justice,  he  is  bound  to  slay  those  sins. 
He  has  had  grand  opportunities  for  gaining  the  victory 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  20I 

over  them.  The  forces  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God 
have  ever  been  available  in  the  contest.  He  had  but 
to  call  in  their  aid,  and  these  divine  auxiliaries  were 
ready  to  strengthen  and  rescue  him.  And  each  victory 
won  would  have  led  to  new  successes.  The  Christian, 
grappling  with  his  native  selfishness,  when  first  in  the 
strength  of  grace  he  began  to  fight  against  indwelling  sin, 
would  in  time  have  become  the  large-hearted  promoter 
of  God's  kingdom,  finding  his  delight  in  doing  good, 
and  through  the  discipline  of  self-denial  and  self-con- 
secration, perceptibly  growing  in  likeness  to  his  Lord 
and  Master.  The  Christian,  manfully  striving  to  over- 
come his  native  indolence,  doing  with  his  might,  from 
the  onset  of  his  career,  what  his  hand  found  to  do,  in  his 
Redeemer's  service,  would  have  come  to  be  an  honored 
instrument  for  the  Master's  use  ;  and  those  voices  of 
timidity  and  sloth — love  of  ease  and  fear  of  man — that 
once  pleaded  with  him  so  loudly,  and  that  would  have 
pleaded  with  him  so  effectually  had  he  listened  to  them, 
to  hold  him  back  from  ways  of  usefulness,  would  have 
died  away.  The  Christian,  deciding  early  that,  whatever 
others  might  do,  he  would  yield  at  no  point  to  the  en- 
croachments of  worldliness,  and  pursuing  a  course  in 
keeping  with  that  resolution  and  in  keeping  with  his  pro- 
fession as  a  disciple  of  the  Saviour,  would  have  come  in 
time  to  be  a  power  in  the  community,  stemming  in 
some  degree  the  current  that  is  sweeping  the  young 
toward  an  entire  conformity  with  the  views  and  practices 
of  a  pleasure-loving  age;  and,  at  all  events,  delivering 
his  own  soul  from  the  fearful  responsibility  of  encoura- 
ging those  tendencies  toward  the  pursuit  of  godless  en- 
joyments and  displays,  against  which  the  Bible  sounds  its 
warning,  and  over  which  every  loyal  follower  of  Christ 


202  SERMONS. 

must  mourn  in  secret.  Oh,  the  neglected  opportunities 
that  the  Christian  life  presents,  to  possess  every  faculty, 
to  bring  every  power  and  thought  into  captivity  to  Jesus! 
How  well  they  explain  the  fact  that  in  this  being,  over 
which  Christ  has  asserted  His  right  to  rule,  and  where, 
indeed.  He  has  been  freely  chosen  and  openly  proclaimed 
as  King  and  Leader,  so  much  still  remains  that  stands 
opposed  to  Him  ;  that  does  Him  no  honor  ;  that  cannot 
claim  His  approval ;  that  needs  to  be  conquered  and 
made  subject  to  His  will! 

Notice  then,  thirdly,  the  Duty  to  be  learned.  Looking 
back  over  our  Christian  course  ;  surveying,  each  for  him- 
self, the  record  of  his  experience  as  a  disciple  of  the  Sav- 
iour, are  we  led  to  conclude,  There  remains  yet  very 
much  to  be  accomplished  in  me,  by  God's  grace,  that  I 
may  answer  to  His  plan  ;  that  I  may  be,  consciously  and 
manifestly,  in  every  faculty  and  feeling  and  in  every  time 
and  place,  what  I  profess  to  be — Christ's  servant  and 
subject,  Christ's  faithful  witness  and  trusted  friend? 
Then  let  us  consider  how  the  fact  thus  ascertained  should 
affect  us.  Surely  it  should  produce  dissatisfaction  with 
ourselves.  The  first  thing  necessary  in  order  to  any  real 
progress  is  that  we  should  become  alive  to  the  truth 
that  we  are  not  what  we  ought  to  be,  and  should  strive 
to  be.  "  Brethren,  cried  the  apostle  Paul,  I  count  not 
myself  to  have  apprehended — to  have  gained  what  I  am 
striving  after, — but  I  press  toward  the  mark."  Many  a 
professed  follower  of  Christ  is  too  well  satisfied  with  him- 
self to  press  toward  the  mark.  He  needs,  first  of  all,  to 
have  this  self-satisfaction  broken  up,  and  to  be  made  to 
see  that  there  are  attainments  in  knowledge  and  piety 
and  happiness  that  invite  him  forward,  and  that  put 
to  shame  his  present  low  attainments.     Doubtless  it  was 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  203, 

no  pleasing  and  gratifying  announcement  to  the  Israelites, 
that  after  all  their  marches  and  counter-marches,  their 
skirmishes  and  hard-fought  battles,  there  remained  yet 
very  much  land  to  be  possessed.  True,  they  must  have 
known  it ;  but  perhaps  they  were  so  well  contented  with 
their  general  success,  that  they  thought  it  of  little  con- 
sequence. What  matter,  if  here  and  there  the  Canaanite 
dwelt  in  the  land  ;  if  the  Philistines  held  the  narrow 
plain  along  the  sea-coast  of  Judea  ;  and  if  in  the  north 
here  and  there  a  heathen  town  stood  out  against  the 
forces  of  Israel  ?  The  country,  as  a  whole,  was  theirs, 
and  these  enemies  could  at  most  offer  but  a  passive  re- 
sistance to  their  arms;  and  in  all  probability  they  would 
give  them  little  trouble.  But  read  the  thirteenth  chap- 
ter of  Joshua  and  the  first  chapter  of  Judges,  and  you 
will  see  that  these  towns  and  regions  that  as  yet  with- 
stood the  Israelites  made  up  in  the  aggregate  a  consider- 
able exception  to  the  general  conquest  and  occupation. 
And  then  read  on,  through  Judges  and  the  books  of  Sam- 
uel and  the  Kings,  and  you  will  see  what  formidable  ad- 
versaries those  despised  Philistines  came  to  be  in  after 
times  ;  and  how  in  the  north,  the  Phoenician  cities  which 
the  Israelites  failed  to  destroy  became  the  sources  of  the 
greatest  peril  and  evil  to  them  ;  as  from  Tyre  and.Sidon 
the  contaminations  of  idolatry  flowed  down  upon  the 
people,  and  their  hearts  were  drawn  away  from  the  living 
and  true  God.  The  truth  announced  to  Joshua  by  the 
Lord  was  one  calculated  to  produce  self-dissatisfaction  in 
His  mind  and  in  the  minds  of  the  people  ;  and  so,  my 
friends,  if  God  by  His  Spirit  would  make  known  to  us 
our  deficiencies  as  Christians,  we  should  be  greatly  hum- 
bled. Let  us  pray  that  He  would  do  it.  For  without 
such  a  feeling  there  will  be  no  following  effort.     There 


204  SERMONS. 

will  be  no  progress  to  mark  this  year  and  make  it  a  year 
of  achievements  and  victories. 

Ask  yourself  then,  dear  hearer,  in  good  faith  and  in 
good  earnest,  how  it  is  with  you.  Have  you  talents  over 
which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  exerts  no  commanding 
power  ?  Are  there  interests  and  occupations  of  your  daily 
life,  into  which  the  thought  of  duty,  of  responsibility  to 
Him,  seldom  enters  ?  In  the  secret  chambers  of  the  soul, 
in  your  musings  and  imaginings,  the  plans  you  form,  the 
hopes  and  desires  you  cherish,  is  the  grace  of  God  pres- 
ent, to  make  those  thoughts  pure,  those  purposes  right  in 
His  sight,  those  hopes  and  desires  worthy  of  one  who  is 
living  chiefly  with  reference  to  a  life  to  come?  We  have 
need  to  ask  ourselves  these  questions.  There  are  multi- 
tudes of  professing  Christians  whose  answer  to  them,  if 
honest,  would  be  a  confession  that  very  much  in  their 
hearts  and  lives  remains  to  be  possessed  by  the  spirit  of 
true  religion.  There  are  many  who,  in  the  ordering  of 
their  business,  in  the  management  of  their  property,  in 
the  disposal  of  their  time,  in  the  choice  of  friends  and 
associations,  act  as  though  these  interests  were  outlying 
regions,  entirely  separate  from  the  province  of  religion  ; 
interests  in  regard  to  which  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that 
they  will  make  them  the  subjects  of  prayer,  that  they  will 
seek  God's  guidance,  that  they  will  seek  to  be  influenced 
by  high  Christian  motives.  Many  professed  followers  of 
the  Saviour  seem  contented  to  carry  with  them  through 
life  a  nature  but  partially  controlled  by  religious  prin- 
ciples. Faults  that  were  conspicuous  before  conversion, 
are  scarcely  less  conspicuous  when  years  have  passed  by. 
"The  Canaanite  is  in  the  land,"  and  no  serious  effort  is 
made  to  dislodge  him.  Infirmities  of  temper  remain  un 
subdued.     The  sharp  tongue  still  works  mischief.     The 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  20^ 

proud  spirit  still  asserts  itself.  Selfishness  is  still  on  the 
look-out  for  an  advantage.  Vanity  still  practises  little 
and  belittling  arts.  In  one  way  or  another,  the  incom- 
pleteness of  the  work  of  sanctification  in  the  heart  and 
the  life  is  betrayed,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  strong  de- 
sire to  have  it  otherwise.  No  sound  of  trumpet  or  clash 
of  arms  proclaims  that  the  presence  of  the  enemy  is  rec- 
ognized and  dreaded,  and  that  the  soul  with  high  resolve 
is  engaged  in  an  uncompromising  war  against  sin.  The 
Christian  is  at  truce  with  his  foes. 

Dear  brethren,  in  this  consideration  is  there  not  enough 
to  humble  us,  if  indeed  this  statement  holds  true  in  any 
measure  of  our  own  experience  ?  Christ  claims  my  whole 
life  and  being,  as  His  blood-bought  possession.  And  yet 
— after  years,  it  may  be,  of  professed  allegiance  and  obe- 
dience on  my  part  to  Him — there  remaineth  very  much 
of  this  domain  to  be  possessed.  There  are  portions  of  it 
in  which  He  is  practically  disowned.  There  are  aspects 
of  it  that  show  little  of  His  presence  and  His  image. 
Much,  much  still  remains  to  be  done  in  me,  for  me,  and 
by  me,  before  I  can  know  the  full  blessedness  of  a  thor- 
ough consecration  to  Christ. 

But  there  is  another  duty  to  be  learned  in  the  light  of 
the  subject  before  us.  From  self-dissatisfaction,  in  view 
of  our  spiritual  deficiencies,  we  should  pass  rapidly  on  to 
determination,  strong  and  hopeful  determination,  to  per- 
form the  unfinished  work.  Here,  indeed,  the  analogy  of 
our  text  fails  us,  so  far  at  least  as  Joshua  himself  was  con- 
cerned. As  to  the  people,  this  declaration  that  the  con- 
quest of  Canaan  was  not  yet  entirely  accomplished,  was 
suited  to  rouse  them  to  effort,  as  well  as  to  humiliate  and 
bring  them  to  repentance.  But  not  so  for  Joshua.  To 
him,  the  message  was  a  dissuasive  one,  bidding  him  to 


206  SERMONS. 

make  haste,  in  view  of  his  age  and  infirmities,  not  to  con- 
quer the  land  that  yet  remained  to  be  possessed,  but  to 
apportion  it  among  the  tribes,  upon  the  presumption  that 
they,  after  he  should  have  ceased  from  his  labors,  would 
complete  the  work.  But  as  it  applies  to  us,  my  friends, 
the  message  means  action,  earnest  and  prompt  action. 
It  bids  us  up  and  be  doing.  Redeem  the  time.  Attempt 
at  once  this  long-neglected  duty.  Looking  for  help  to 
Him  who  has  promised  that  He  will  perfect  that  which 
concerneth  you,  hasten  to  do  your  part  in  this  great  un- 
dertaking of  self-conquest  and  of  self-consecration.  And 
this  call,  dear  friends,  comes  with  a  personal  force  to  every 
one  of  us.  O  let  us  believe  it  !  The  old  are  not  debarred 
or  excused  from  obeying  it.  If  it  be  true  in  their  case 
that,  while  much  remains  to  be  done,  little  time  is  left  in 
which  to  do  the  work,  it  is  also  true  that  the  best  use  to 
which  they  can  put  the  remnant  of  their  days  is  in  the 
effort  to  promote  that  work.  But  to  the  young,  this 
teaching  of  God's  Word  is  addressed  with  a  special  force. 
Would  that  they  might  heed  it  !  Would  that  some  one 
at  least  of  you,  my  young  hearers,  might  lay  it  to  heart, 
and  determine  this  day,  by  God's  help,  that  you  will  strive 
in  earnest  to  make  the  career  before  you  one  of  growth 
for  the  soul.  Survey  the  duty,  and  begin  at  once  to  per- 
form it.  See  how,  in  the  direction  of  Bible  study,  there 
remains  for  you  very  much  to  accomplish.  Open  this  sa- 
cred Book,  and  look  through  its  contents. 

"  'T  is  a  broad  land  of  wealth  unknown." 

How  little  of  it  you  have  yet  explored  !  How  slight  and 
superficial  your  acquaintance  with  its  teachings  !  Deter- 
mine that,  seeking  the  Holy  Spirit's  light  and  guidance, 
you  will  hereafter  devote  time  and  attention,  as  you  have 


THE   CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.  20/ 

never  done  before,  to  the  reading  and  study  of  this  Book 
of  books.  Again,  in  the  direction  of  self-conquest  and 
self-culture,  how  much  remains  to  be  done  !  O  begin  to- 
day the  work  of  watchfulness  and  prayer,  the  hand-to- 
hand  fight  with  the  evil  within  and  the  evil  without,  the 
work  of  denying  and  withstanding  the  promptings  of  a 
sinful  heart !  Again,  in  the  cultivation  of  your  Saviour's 
friendship,  in  the  enjoyment  of  happy  communion  and 
fellowship  with  God,  how  much  remains  to  be  sought  and 
attained  !  Christian,  resolve  to-day  that  the  companion- 
ship you  will  seek  and  prize  above  all  other,  shall  be  that 
of  Jesus,  your  Lord. 


X. 

TRUST  IN  THE  LORD. 

•  Proverbs  xxii.  19. 

"  That  thy  trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I  have  made  known  to  thee  this  day, 

even  to  thee." 

[Preached  at  Rye,  Sunday,  December  26,  1886.] 

King  Solomon,  accounted  the  wisest  of  mankind,  here 
tells  us  very  briefly  what  is  the  lesson  that  he  aims  to 
teach.  A  public  speaker  will  sometimes  announce  at  the 
beginning  of  his  discourse  the  impression  that  he  desires 
to  make.  So  the  inspired  author  of  this  book  of  Proverbs 
does  here.  Biblical  scholars  call  our  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  seventeenth  verse  of  this  chapter  marks  a  sepa- 
rate division  of  the  book  of  Proverbs,  a  section  which 
extends  to  the  end  of  the  twenty-fourth  chapter.  It  is 
entitled  :  "  The  Words  of  the  Wise  " ;  and  our  text  is  a 
statement  of  the  general  purpose  of  this  particular  part 
of  Solomon's  teachings.  Addressing  his  hearer — whether 
a  real  or  an  imaginary  person — as  an  Eastern  sage  was 
accustomed  to  address  his  pupil,  or  as  a  parent  might 
address  his  son,  he  bids  him  give  the  most  fixed  atten- 
tion to  what  he  is  about  to  say.  "  Bow  down  thine  ear 
and  hear  the  words  of  the  wise,  and  apply  thine  heart 
unto  my  knowledge.    For  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  if  thou  wilt 

208 


TRUST  IN  THE  LORD.  2O9 

keep  them  within  thee  ;  they  shall  withal  be  fitted  in  thy 
lips.  That  thy  trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I  have  made 
known  to  thee  this  day,  even  to  thee." 

The  book  of  Proverbs  is  an  exceedingly  practical  book. 
It  does  not  deal  in  doctrines  so  much  as  in  duties.  It  is 
a  book  meant  especially  for  the  moulding  and  guidance 
of  the  young ;  and  its  short,  pithy  sentences  are  admira- 
bly fitted  to  be  understood  by  the  young,  laid  up  in 
their  memories,  and  reduced  to  practice  in  their  lives. 
But  even  a  book  so  practical  cannot  separate  conduct 
from  belief.  So  in  Proverbs,  as  everywhere  else  in  the 
Bible,  we  find  faith  as  well  as  works  recommended  and 
enforced.  What  man  is  to  believe,  as  well  as  what  man 
is  to  do,  must  be  taught ;  and  taught  over  and  over,  in 
varied  and  striking  ways.  And  thus  even  here  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  matter-of-fact  instruction,  and  at  the  beginning 
of  a  new  series  of  rules  and  regulations  that  bear  on  the 
conduct — relating  to  justice  between  man  and  man  ;  dili- 
gence in  business  ;  the  control  of  the  appetite ;  the  train- 
ing of  children  ;  the  choice  of  friendships ;  good  govern- 
ments ;  neighborly  offices  ;  industry  and  thrift — we  have 
the  great  doctrine  presented  that  shines  out  in  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  New  ;  the  doctrine  which  Abraham 
lived  and  David  sang  and  Isaiah  illuminated  ;  the  doc- 
trine that  faith  in  God  is  the  condition  of  all  good  to 
His  creatures  ;  that  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please 
Him  ;  that  a  mortal's  trust  in  his  Maker  is  the  essence  of 
true  religion.  The  wisest  man  that  ever  lived  has  noth- 
ing better  than  this  to  say  to  you  and  to  me  :  "That  thy 
trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I  have  made  known  to  thee 
this  day,  even  to  thee." 

Now  I  wish,  in  connection  with  this  language,  to  lead 
you  to  think  how  God  in  all  His  dealings  with  us  His 


2IO  SERMONS. 

creatures  is  pressing  upon  us  the  fact  of  our  need  to  have 
an  intelligent  and  a  well-established  trust  in  Him.  And 
in  order  that  this  thought  may  make  upon  us  the  impres- 
sion which  it  is  designed  to  make,  let  us  notice  the  two 
singularly  emphatic  expressions  that  are  used  in  our  text 
for  this  very  purpose.  The  one  relates  to  the  time,  the 
occasion,  the  opportunity  for  the  teaching  of  this  truth, 
the  other,  to  the  person  addressed.  The  time,  this  day: 
"  I  have  made  known  to  thee  this  day."  The  person  to 
whom  the  teaching  is  addressed:  "To  thee,  even  to 
thee."  Bible  time  is  "  Now."  "  Behold,  now  is  the  ac- 
cepted time  ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation."  The 
present  is  all  that  we  can  call  our  own ;  the  past  has  fled 
forever,  the  future  we  have  no  assurance  of.  "  To-day," 
God  says  to  us  in  the  Bible,  "To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  My 
voice,  harden  not  your  hearts."  The  day,  the  hour,  the 
minute,  when  a  man  is  made  aware  that  God  waits  to 
bless  him,  is  the  golden  opportunity  for  him  to  seek  and 
obtain  the  blessing.  I  might  have  taken  this  verse  from 
Proverbs  for  my  text  on  any  Sabbath  of  the  fifty-one 
that  have  been  counted  out  to  us  this  year,  and  it  would 
have  been  a  word  in  season,  unquestionably  appropriate 
to  the  day  on  which  it  would  have  been  spoken  ;  and  if 
heard  with  an  attentive  mind  and  a  willing  heart,  it  might 
have  led  some  hearer  to  determine  to  put  his  trust  in  the 
Lord  ;  and  the  happy  resolution  might  have  been  made 
by  some  one  who  had  never  made  it  before. 

' '  Then  will  I  say,  My  God  !  Thy  power 
Shall  be  my  fortress  and  my  tower  ; 
I,  who  am  formed  of  feeble  dust, 
Make  Thine  almighty  arm  my  trust." 

But  while  every  Sabbath  and  every  day  of  every  year 
of  our  lives  is  a  time  of  opportunity  for  the  soul,  surely 


TRUST  IN  THE  LORD.  211 

the  last  Sabbath  of  the  year  stands  out  to  our  view  as  a 
very  special  occasion.  O  that  I  could  make  known  to 
you  this  day,  dear  hearers,  how  blessed  it  would  be  to 
have  you  trust  in  the  Lord  !  I  pray  you  to  take  in  this 
thought :  *'  If  there  is  any  real  and  pressing  importance 
in  the  subject  that  is  being  urged  upon  my  consideration, 
it  becomes  me  to  consider  it  seriously,  NOW.  For  cer- 
tainly, in  the  fading  light  of  this  last  Sabbath  of  the  year, 
the  claims  of  religion  do  assert  themselves  with  an  un- 
mistakable force,  and  demand  my  immediate,  my  undi- 
vided attention." 

The  special  interest  that  belongs  to  this  particular  Sab- 
bath, lies  partly  in  the  fact  that  it  is  a  time  for  review. 
Naturally,  and  of  their  own  accord,  our  minds  run  back 
over  the  record  of  the  closing  year.  We  remember  the 
way  by  which  we  have  been  led,  and  we  remember 
especially  the  rough  places  and  the  strange  and  sudden 
turns  of  the  way  ;  the  changes,  the  losses,  the  sicknesses, 
the  seasons  of  affliction  passed  through.  If  we  are  God's 
children,  and  have  been  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  our 
privileges  as  God's  children,  we  recall  these  experiences 
with  thankfulness  in  view  of  His  faithfulness  to  us  in  our 
times  of  need.  When  trouble  came  upon  us  God  did  not 
forsake.  Our  necessity  was  His  opportunity.  Anxiety 
drove  us  to  Him,  and  our  burden  of  care  was  laid  down 
at  His  feet.  Sorrow  sent  us  to  our  place  of  refuge,  and 
well  was  it  for  us  that  we  had  the  Lord  for  our  refuge. 
"  The  hiding-places  of  men,"  one  has  said,  "  are  discovered 
by  affliction.  Our  refuges  are  like  the  nests  of  birds ;  in 
summer  they  are  hidden  among  the  green  leaves,  but  in 
winter  they  are  seen  among  the  naked  branches.  Un- 
godly men  being  afraid  of  God,  and  feeling  that  they  are 
at  enmity  with  Him,  go  anywhere  else  for  solace  in  afflic- 


212  SERMONS. 

tion.  Some  turn  to  worldly  business,  and  buy  and  sell 
with  redoubled  activity;  some  count  up  the  idols  that 
remain,  and  plan  new  enterprises ;  some  go  into  light 
company,  read  light  books,  or  flutter  through  the  dance 
of  light  amusements ;  some  have  been  known  to  plunge 
into  drunkenness.  Troubles  drive  each  one  to  his  refuge  ; 
each  has  his  little  retreat,  his  shrine  and  his  idol,  which 
he  seeks  at  such  times.  And  the  child  of  God  has 
his  refuge,  and  goes  into  it.  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in 
perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee,  because  he 
trusteth  in  Thee." 

But  has  it  been  altogether  thus  with  you  ?  The  year 
has  been  checkered  with  trials,  if  not  with  great  and  sore 
troubles.  Have  you  always  found  it  easy  and  blessed  to 
take  refuge  in  God  ?  Perhaps  you  did  not,  in  every  one  of 
these  experiences,  realize  that  the  lesson  to  you  was  a  les- 
son of  trust  in  Him  ;  an  invitation  to  come  and  find  peace 
and  strength  in  communion  with  Him,  and  childlike  sub- 
mission to  His  will.  Perhaps  you  were  not  living  near 
enough  to  God  to  find  it  easy  to  take  shelter  in  His 
presence,  and  know  the  blessedness  of  an  humble,  peace- 
ful dependence  on  His  faithfulness.  But  surely,  as  you 
look  back  upon  the  record  of  these  past  months,  you  can 
see  that  God's  dealings  with  you  have  been  suited  to 
teach  you  this  lesson  of  trust.  How  often  has  it  proved 
true  that  he  has  been  better  to  you  than  your  fears  I 
How  many  anxious  thoughts  you  would  have  been  spared 
if  you  had  simply  and  quietly  confided  in  His  loving 
care  !  How  often  has  He  seemed  to  say  to  you,  as  the 
cloud  of  apprehended  evil  has  rolled  away:  "  O  thou  of 
little  faith  !  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?  "  How  easy  it 
is  to  see  now  that  you  might  have  taken  your  trials  dif- 
ferently ;  and  that  if  you  had  done  so  it  would  have  been 


TRUST  IN  THE  LORD.  213 

far  better  for  you.  It  is  not  only  the  immediate  relief 
that  you  have  missed,  relief  from  the  distress  and  anguish 
of  great  afflictions,  or  only  from  the  heaviness  and  sad- 
ness of  the  ordinary  troubles  of  life  ;  but  it  is  the  happy 
effect  of  a  discipline  that  was  meant  to  bring  you  nearer 
to  God  ;  meant  to  strengthen  you  in  all  goodness,  to 
make  you  patient,  and  brave,  and  wise  for  having  better 
learned  how  to  trust  Him  in  the  dark  and  in  the  storm. 
Surely,  as  you  recall  the  past,  with  thankfulness  for  all 
that  you  have  felt  of  the  safety  and  satisfaction  in  relying 
upon  the  Lord,  in  taking  refuge  in  His  unfailing  love, 
with  penitent  regret  that  you  have  been  so  unfaithful 
and  unbelieving,  you  should  take  to  your  heart  the 
teaching  of  experience,  the  teaching  of  Providence  that 
finds  expression  in  the  language  of  our  text :  "  That  thy 
trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I  have  made  known  unto  thee 
this  day,  even  to  thee." 

But  this  day  has  a  special  interest,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  it  is  a  time  for  anticipation.  The  mind  looks  for- 
ward as  a  new  year  approaches.  It  is  not  more  natural 
for  us  to  look  back,  than  to  send  an  inquiring  and  an 
anxious  look  toward  the  things  to  come.  Hope,  un- 
certainty, fear,  all  prompt  us  to  do  this.  Experience 
itself  urges  us  to  forecast  the  unknown  future.  It 
reminds  us  of  dangers  past,  and  bids  us  argue  that 
to-morrow  will  be  as  yesterday,  and  that  as  we  enter 
the  cloud  that  overhung  the  entrance  of  the  year  now 
drawing  to  a  close,  to  meet  many  unexpected  trials, 
so  we  are  advancing  to  meet  much  in  the  new  year  that 
would  disturb  and  grieve  us  if  it  were  not  mercifully 
hidden  from  our  eyes.  The  experience  of  others  leads  us 
to  do  this.  Many  of  those  who  began  the  year  1886 
with  us  have  found  it  stored  with  intense  and  painful  in- 


214  SERMONS. 

terest.  Its  course  has  been  marked  for  them  by  events 
that  have  altered  the  whole  tone  and  current  of  their 
lives,  and  they  are  carrying  over  into  the  new  year  mem- 
ories that  make  up  a  sad  outfit  for  a  fresh  start  in  their 
pilgrimage.  How  many,  too,  who  began  the  year  with 
us  have  fallen  by  the  way  !  Some  of  us  think,  doubtless, 
that  we  have  never  lived  through  a  year  that  has  been  so 
crowded  with  bereavements.  So  many  faces  have  faded 
out  that  we  shall  see  no  more  on  earth  !  So  many 
vacant  places  are  left  in  our  friendships  that  can  never 
be  filled  this  side  of  the  grave  !  What  has  the  future  in 
keeping  for  us !  If  some  keen-sighted  sentinel  were 
standing  within  the  shadow  of  that  mystery,  piercing 
with  his  gaze  the  secrets  of  the  coming  year,  how  eagerly 
should  we  send  forth  to  him  the  imploring  cry  :  "  Watch- 
man, what  of  the  night?  "  What  losses  for  me?  What 
trials  that  I  need  to  be  prepared  for?  What  troubles  in 
view  of  which  I  need  to  gird  myself  with  strength  and 
fortitude?  Is  it  written  for  some  whom  I  love,  is  it 
written  for  me,  in  its  untold  chronicle,  "  This  year  thoti 
shalt  die "  ?  Dear  hearer,  an  answer  comes  to  your 
hungry  heart,  an  answer  not  from  such  a  sentinel,  able  to 
foretell  the  things  to  come,  but  from  the  sure  prophecy 
of  God's  holy  Word :  and  it  says  to  you  :  "  That  thy 
trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I  have  made  known  to  thee 
this  day,  even  to  thee."  Ah,  it  is  the  only  preparation 
we  can  have  for  that  inscrutable  future  ;  and,  thank  God  ! 
it  is  an  all-sufificient  preparation.  Faith  in  God,  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  faith  in  the  exceeding  good  and 
precious  promises  that  assure  us  of  His  unchangeable 
love  and  unfailing  care — this  is  the  only  possible  equip- 
ment for  a  mortal,  as  he  goes  forward  into  the  deep  dark- 
ness of  the  path  that  opens  before  his  feet  ;  and  it  meets 


TRUST  IN  THE  LORD.  21$ 

all  his  need.  Dear  hearer,  do  you  know  what  it  is  "that 
your  trust  may  be  in  the  Lord  "?  Have  you  that  faith 
that  receives  and  rests  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for 
salvation  as  He  is  made  known  to  you  in  the  Gospel? 
Can  you  say  :  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed  ";  and  lit- 
tle as  I  know  of  that  which  is  before  me,  dark  and  im- 
penetrable as  the  cloud  that  hangs  over  my  untried 
journey,  solemn  as  it  is  to  think  of  the  things  that  lie 
there,  whether  in  this  approaching  year  or  in  some  year 
beyond  it,  death,  judgment,  eternity  begun, — yet,  "  know- 
ing whom  I  have  believed,  I  am  persuaded  that  He  is 
able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  Him 
against  that  day?  "  If  not,  come  now  and  put  your  trust 
in  Him.  Many  a  time  the  invitation  has  been  spoken  to 
you,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Let  it  come 
home  to  you  now,  as  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  year  closes, 
with  a  personal  and  a  timely  meaning  that  you  have 
never  seen  in  it  before.  "  To  thee,  this  day,  even  to 
thee,"  the  Bible  says  :  "  Let  thy  trust  be  in  the  Lord." 
Jesus  says:  "Let  thy  trust  be  in  Me."  God's  provi- 
dence says  to  you,  as  it  bids  you  learn  the  lessons  of  ex- 
perience and  observation,  and  see  yourself  a  frail,  de- 
fenceless being,  needing  so  much  to  have  the  eternal  God 
for  your  refuge:  "  Let  thy  trust  be  in  Him."  Oh,  may 
the  prayer  of  an  humble,  believing  soul  be  yours  this 
day  !  "  Lord,  I  come  to  put  my  trust  in  Thee  !  "  As  the 
shades  of  this  Sabbath  close  around  you,  say  to  Jesus: 
"  Lord,  I  believe  !  I  commit  my  soul  into  Thy  hands, 
for  Thou  hast  redeemed  me.  I  yield  myself  to  Thy 
care,  for  Thou  hast  loved  me.  Lord,  I  believe:  help 
mine  unbelief." 

And  what  we  all  need  to  learn,  dear  friends,  and  to 
learn  as  the  special  lesson  of  this  hour,  is  to  exercise  a 


2l6  SERMONS. 

stronger  and  more  habitual  confidence  in  our  heavenly 
Father,  our  blessed  Saviour.  Faith  in  God  !  it  is  the 
teaching  of  the  whole  Bible ;  it  is  the  truth  about  which 
you  hear  on  every  Sabbath :  but  I  think  we  may  learn 
to-day  to  see  it  in  the  setting  in  which  we  find  it  just 
where  our  text  states  it,  and  to  see  it  in  the  setting  in 
which  this  very  day  presents  it,  in  a  new  and  instructive 
light.  I  have  called  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  our 
text  occurs  in  the  midst  of  a  very  practical  portion  of 
Scripture — in  the  Book  of  Proverbs;  and  in  connection 
with  a  series  of  rules  and  regulations  that  concern  our 
ordinary,  every-day  life.  And  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
purpose  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  in  writing  these  words  here 
is  to  impress  upon  our  minds  the  duty  of  carrying  this 
great  principle  of  trust  in  the  Lord  into  all  our  daily 
affairs.  A  few  centuries  ago — shortly  after  the  Reforma- 
tion— it  became  the  custom  in  Protestant  countries  to 
place  over  the  doors  of  houses  and  in  other  public  places 
inscriptions  taken  from  God's  Word,  Bible  verses,  remind- 
ing Christian  men  of  their  duty  to  God  and  of  His  pres- 
ence and  care  in  the  midst  of  their  daily  employments. 
The  Bank  of  England  bears  such  an  inscription  to-day ; 
but  in  those  times  many  a  lowly  habitation  and  many  a 
place  of  trade  was  consecrated  by  some  holy  truth,  suited 
thus  to  instruct  and  to  comfort :  and  what  is  more,  the 
merchant  was  accustomed  to  write  on  the  title-page 
of  his  ledger,  and  on  the  first  line  of  each  page,  such 
words  as  these  :  "  In  the  name  of  God  "  ;  "  Our  help  is  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord."  Let  us  learn  from  the  setting  of 
our  text,  in  this  Book  of  Proverbs,  where  you  will  find, 
at  the  head  of  a  series  of  teachings  that  relate  to  very 
homely  and  practical  concerns — money  matters,  diet, 
good  farming,  family  discipline,  respect  for  parents,  kind- 


TRUST  IM  THE  LORD.  21/ 

ness  to  neighbors,  obedience  to  rulers — this  great  lesson 
of  Faith :  let  us  learn  the  wisdom  and  blessedness  of  act- 
ing Faith  in  God  in  all  our  pursuits  and  in  all  our  inter- 
course with  our  fellow-men.  Let  us  make  it  our  prayer 
that  in  the  coming  year  we  may  live  as  those  who  see 
Him  who  is  invisible,  and  to  whom  the  things  unseen  are 
real  and  precious.  And  then,  if  some  day  in  this  coming 
year  the  pen  or  the  needle  shall  drop  from  the  busy 
hand,  the  business  account  shall  be  closed,  the  place  at 
the  family  meal  and  the  social  feast  shall  be  vacated,  the 
room  in  the  home  shall  be  darkened,  O  then  it  will  be 
blessed  to  die  with  a  trust  in  the  Lord,  blessed  to  be 
remembered  as  one  whose  trust  was  in  the  Lord ! 
For  such  a  trust  is — 

" Chastening  to  a  glorious  end, 

'T  is  pressing  towards  my  bosom  friend  ; 
'T  is  meeting  Him  :  come,  Jesus,  come  ; 
'T  is  folding  tent  and  reaching  home. 

"  'T  is  putting  on  the  garment  white, 
Preparing  for  the  blissful  sight 
Of  that  rejoicing,  glorious  feast, 
Which  saints  will  share,  from  great  to  least. 

"  My  Father,  I  must  wait  on  Thee, 
For  Faith  like  this  't  was  bought  for  me  ; 
Beneath  the  cross,  I  seek,  I  claim, 
Such  living  faith  in  Jesus'  name." 


LAYS  OF  THE  CROSS. 


219 


I. 

THE  DREAM  OF  PILATE'S  WIFE. 

Matt,  xxvii.  19. 

"  It  was  not  sleep  that  bound  my  sight, 
Upon  that  well-remembered  night  ; 
It  was  not  fancy's  fitful  power, 
Beguiled  me  in  that  solemn  hour : 
But  o'er  the  vision  of  my  soul 
The  mystic  Future  seemed  to  roll ; 
And  in  the  deep  prophetic  trance, 
Revealed  its  treasures  to  my  glance. 

"  Before  my  wondering  eyes  there  stood 
A  vast,  a  countless  multitude  ; 
The  hoary  sire,  the  prattling  child. 
The  mother,  and  the  maiden  mild. 
The  gladsome  youth,  and  man  of  care — 
All  tribes,  all  ages  mingled  there  ; 
And  all,  where'er  I  turned  to  see. 
In  humble  silence  bent  the  knee.   ;, 

"  Still  o'er  the  crowded  scene  I  gazed  : 
Against  the  lurid  eastern  sky 
I  saw  the  shameful  Cross  upraised  ; 
I  saw  the  sufferer  doomed  to  die. 


.222  LA  YS  OF  THE    CROSS. 

'T  was  He  whom  late,  with  sorrowing  mien, 
In  Zion's  streets  I  oft  had  seen  ; 
And  now,  in  blood  and  agony, 
He  turned  a  dying  look  on  me. 

"  Then  softly  from  that  gathering  throng 
Arose  the  sound  of  solemn  song  ; 
And  while  I  caught  the  swelling  lay, 
The  myriad  voices  seemed  to  say  : 

'  And  we  believe  in  Him  that  died. 
By  Pontius  Pilate  crucified — 
That  He  shall  come,  when  time  is  fled. 
To  judge  the  living  and  the  dead.' 

'"  I  woke  : — thou  wast  not  by  my  side. 
I  heard  a  loud  exulting  cry  ; 
I  heard  the  scornful  priests  deride. 
The  Elders  murmur,  '  Crucify  !  ' 
O  Pilate  !  hadst  thou  marked  my  prayer, 
That  guiltless  blood  to  shield  and  spare. 
That  deed  of  horror  would  not  be 
A  stain  to  thine — a  curse  to  thee  ! 

"  Our  scenes  of  early  love  are  past  ; 
Our  youthful  spring  is  withered  all ; 
Afar  from  Rome  our  lot  is  cast. 
Beneath  the  sunny  skies  of  Gaul  ' ; 
The  thoughts  that  memory  treasures  yet 
Of  other  days,  begin  to  flee  ; 
But  never  shall  my  heart  forget 
The  Crucified  of  Galilee  !  " 

'  Pontius  Pilate  died  in  exile  at  Vienna,  a  small  town  near  Lyons,  in 
France. 


II. 

^'BEHOLD  YOUR  KING." 

John  xix.  14. 

By  the  murmuring  crowd  enticed, 
Pilate  leadeth  forth  the  Christ, 
Who,  before  the  judgment-seat 
Stands,  His  pending  doom  to  meet. 
Still  the  furious  voices  cry  : 
Crucify  Him  !  crucify  ! 
Pilate  saith  :  Your  Christ  I  bring  ; 
Shall  I  crucify  your  King? 

By  the  painful  crown  of  thorns 
That  His  royal  brow  adorns. 
By  the  brittle  reed  He  took 
For  a  sceptre  and  a  crook, 
By  the  robe  of  purple  hue. 
By  the  homage  of  the  Jew, 
'T  is  a  monarch  that  I  bring; 
Rebel  men  !  behold  your  King  ! 

Soon  by  wondering  worlds  confest. 
In  majestic  splendor  drest, 
He  shall  come  to  rule  and  reign, 
With  the  angels  in  His  train  ; 

223 


224  LA  YS   OF    THE    CROSS. 

Clouds  of  glory  for  His  seat, 
Crowns  and  sceptres  at  His  feet ; 
Every  voice  His  praise  shall  sing, 
Every  eye  behold  your  King. 

Jesus  !  in  Thy  human  shame, 
We  have  owned  Thy  kingly  claim  ; 
We  the  hidden  God  have  seen 
In  the  lowly  Nazarene. 
So,   whene'er  the  opening  skies 
Shall  reveal  Thee  to  our  eyes. 
All  the  host  of  heaven  shall  sing  : 
Faithful  souls!  behold  your  King! 


III. 

SIMON  OF  CYRENE. 

They  found  a  man  of  Cyrene,  Simon  by  name  ;  him  they  compelled  to 
bear  His  cross." 

Matt,  xxvii.  32. 

The  paschal  moon,  with  cloudless  light, 
Was  dawning  on  my  pilgrim  way, 
When  first  from  far  Gyrene's  height 
In  Salem's  courts  I  came  to  pray. 
From  glittering  spire  and  gilded  dome, 
I  caught  the  bright  reflected  rays, 
And  proudly  hailed  my  fathers'  home, 
With  grateful  vows  and  songs  of  praise. 

I  climbed  along  the  rocky  side, 
But  scarce  had  reached  the  eastern  door. 
When  from  the  portals  opening  wide 
A  noisy  crowd  began  to  pour. 
The  Roman  soldiers  led  the  van  ; 
The  mob  pursued  with  shout  and  cry  ; 
And  in  their  midst  a  captive  man. 
Led  forth  a  shameful  death  to  die. 

I  turned  to  shun  the  painful  sight : 
But  soon  their  fainting  charge  to  spare, 
225 


226  LA  YS  OF    THE   CROSS. 

The  watchful  soldiers  stopped  my  flight, 
And  forced  the  prisoner's  cross  to  bear. 
And  slowly  o'er  the  dreary  road, 
Beneath  the  strange,  disgraceful  load, 
I  followed  with  reluctant  gait 
That  weary  pilgrim  to  His  fate. 

Along  the  plain  I  saw  Him  led, 
That  sinking  form,  that  drooping  head, 
Whose  holy  eyes  seemed  still  to  shine 
With  love  all  human,  yet  divine  ; 
Whose  gracious  voice,  tho'  sad  and  faint, 
Spake  words  of  comfort,  not  complaint: 

0  never  can  my  heart  forget  ! 

1  hear  Him  still — I  see  Him  yet. 

And  in  my  prospect  never  dim, 
This  rapturous  hope  unfading  lives. 
That  I,  who  bare  the  Cross  for  Him, 
Shall  wear  the  heavenly  crown  He  gives  : 
That  I,  who  shared  His  earthly  shame. 
His  radiant  face  at  last  shall  see. 
And  worship,  by  a  nobler  name. 
The  Crucified  of  Galilee  ! 


IV. 

THE  PEOPLE  AT  THE  CROSS. 

"  And  the  people  stood  beholding.'" 
Luke  xxiii.  35. 

While  the  beams  of  day  arise 

On  the  wondrous  Sacrifice, 
The  dread  scene  of  woe  unfolding, 

Whither  look  those  anxious  eyes 
As  the  people  stand  beholding? 

Onward  borne  in  sad  array 

As  they  crowd  the  winding  way, 

Flocking  forth  from  Zion's  city, 
Heard  ye  not  the  gazers  say 

In  the  low,  deep  tones  of  pity  : 

"  Man  of  Sorrows,  it  is  Thou  ! 

Thine  the  sad  and  blood-stained  brow 
Where  are  love  and  anguish  blended  ; 

Man  of  grief,  we  know  Thee  now 
On  the  tree  of  death  suspended  !  " 

Yea,  within  their  crowded  street 
They  have  seen  those  wayworn  feet, 
227 


228  LAVS  OF    THE   CROSS. 

And  those  arms  their  babes  enfolding  ; 

Now  that  eye  of  love  they  meet, 
As  the  people  stand  beholding. 

Wherefore  in  the  twilight  dim, 
Stand  ye  thus  afar  from  Him, 

While  the  hours  of  grace  are  going, 
And  from  brow  and  side  and  limb 

Streams  of  life  and  love  are  flowing? 

Lamb  of  God  !  so  let  it  be 
That  Thy  grace  may  shelter  me. 

In  that  hour  my  soul  upholding 
When  all  flesh  Thy  might  shall  see, 

And  the  people  stand  beholding! 


V. 
THE  SOLDIERS  AT  THE  CROSS. 

"  And  sitting  down  they  watched  Him  there." 
Matt,  xxvii.  36. 

What  weary  work  has  worn  your  strength, 

Ye  men  of  sin  and  war; 
That  sitting  down  ye  rest  at  length, 

Your  morning  labor  o'er: 
And  wistfully  on  Calvary's  side 
Ye  watch  the  Cross  and  Crucified  ? 

Your  hands  have  nailed  the  quivering  limb, 
Have  pierced  the  throbbing  side; 

Your  lips  have  cast  the  taunt  on  Him 
Who  pardoned  while  He  died  : 

Then  rest  you  from  your  toil  and  care, 

As,  sitting  down,  ye  watch  Him  there. 

Yet  bring  not  ye  the  sword  and  spear 

To  mock  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
Their  dread  employ,  that  triumphs  here. 

At  His  behest  shall  cease. 
And  War  shall  stay  her  ruthless  tide 
To  watch  the  Cross  and  Crucified. 
229 


230  LA  YS   OF   THE    CROSS. 

But  rest  you  near  the  Peaceful  One, 

Ye  men  of  blood  and  war ; 
'T  was  fit  that  such  a  deed  were  done 

By  hands  defiled  with  gore  : 
'T  was  fit  that  hearts  unused  to  spare 
Should  harden  while  ye  watched  Him  there. 

Yet  Thou  !  whose  cleansing  blood  hath  grace 

For  all  that  watch  and  pray, 
Thou  couldst  not  spurn  from  Thine  embrace 

The  soul  that  owned  Thy  sway  : 
When  standing  near  Thy  cross  amazed 

One  trembling  soldier  saw  and  praised.' 

I,  too,  my  Lord,  have  shared  the  guilt 
That  stained  that  murderous  band; 

So,  near  that  stream  of  healing  spilt 
By  this  polluted  hand, 

I,  too,  would  cast  the  arms  I  bear. 

And  worship  as  I  watch  Thee  there  ! 

'  '  Mark  xv.  39. 


VI. 

THE  WOMEN  AT  THE  CROSS. 

"  The  women  that  followed  Him  from  Galilee  stood  beholding. 
Luke  xxiii.  49. 

The  wondering  crowds  have  fled, 
The  People,  struck  with  strange  dismay, 
Have  smote  the  breast  and  turned  away 

To  leave  the  sacred  Dead  : 
And  none  remain  to  watch  save  ye 
Who  followed  Him  from  Galilee. 

The  guards,  in  silence  grim. 
With  trembling  awe  and  gaze  intent, 
Have  looked  on  Him  whose  flesh  they  rent, 

And  mourned  because  of  Him  : 
And  none  remain  to  weep  save  ye 
Who  followed  Him  from  Galilee. 

Ye  women,  sad  and  few  ! 
I  fain,  with  voice  of  grief  outpoured, 
Would  linger  near  the  dying  Lord, 

To  watch  and  weep  with  you  : 
But  first  my  daily  task  must  be 
To  follow  Him  from  Galilee. 
231 


232  LA  YS  OF   THE    CROSS. 

Along  the  lengthening  way, 
Through  paths  His  wayworn  feet  have  blest, 
This  welcome  hope  shall  cheer  my  breast 

For  many  a  toilsome  day: 
That  so  my  pilgrim  work  shall  be 
To  follow  Him  from  Galilee. 

And  when  Thy  voice  shall  raise 
The  quickened  dead  to  life  and  doom ; 
When  wondering  guards  shall  burst  the  tomb, 

And  crowds  affrighted  gaze  ; 
With  these,  O  Jesus  !  number  me, 
Who  followed  first  from  Galilee. 


VII. 

BEARING  THE  CROSS. 

I  saw  the  Lord  with  painful  steps  and  slow 

To  Calvary's  height  His  weary  course  begin  ; 

His  bending  shoulders  bore  the  Cross  of  sin  ; 

His  fainting  spirit  carried  all  our  woe ; 

I  saw  the  priests  in  cruel  triumph  go  ; 

The  careless  soldiers  hemmed  their  prisoner  in, 

Whose  pallid  brow,  whose  visage  marred  and  thin, 

The  curious  crowds  with  sorrowing  pity  know. 

"  My  suffering  Lord  !  "  with  trembling  voice  I  cried, 

When  first  that  wounded  form  I  chanced  to  see  : 

"  To  me,  to  me,  Thy  shameful  load  confide  ; 

Be  mine  the  bliss  to  bear  the  Cross  for  Thee !  " 

"  Nay,  zealous  child,"  my  gracious  Lord  replied, 

"  Bear  thou  thy  cross,  and  come  and  follow  Me." 


"DOMINE,  QUO  VADIS?" 

(A  legend  of  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Peter.) 

A  small  church  by  the  Appian  Way 

Stands  desolate  and  old, 
And  I  paused  a  moment  there  to-day 

To  hear  its  story  told. 
233 


234  LA  YS   OF  THE    CROSS. 

The  old  church  hath  a  curious  name, 

And  I  asked  the  sacristan 
What  the  words  were  for,  that  its  portal  bore,. 

When  thus  the  answer  ran  : 

"  It  was  a  time  of  sword  and  flame, 

And  many  a  martyr  bled  ; 
And  many  that  wore  the  Christian  name 

From  rack  and  faggot  fled. 
They  fled,  and  was  it  shame  to  fly. 

When  the  Faith  had  lost  its  home, 
Nor  a  shelter  found  in  caves  underground 

Where  worshipped  the  saints  of  Rome  ? 

"  Forth  by  the  Appian  Gate  at  night 

An  old  man  trembling  passed  ; 
His  hair  was  white,  and  his  long  beard  white, 

And  his  face  with  fear  aghast. 
It  was  that  holy  saint  of  Christ, 

To  whom  He  had  left  His  flock  ; 
That  head  and  chief,  on  whose  belief 

He  had  built  as  on  a  rock. 

"  He  went,  for  prayers  had  overborne 

His  choice  to  stay  and  die  ; 
And  tender  hands  of  love  had  shorn 

The  martyr's  courage  high. 
And  he  whose  burning  zeal  had  nerved 

The  feeblest  for  the  stake. 
Must  yield  the  crown  that  was  hovering  down 

For  younger  hands  to  take. 

"  So  quickly  on  the  old  man  went, 
And  he  hastened  in  his  flight  ; 


DOMINE,    QUO  VADIS?  235 

But  why  so  sudden  paused,  and  bent 

His  gaze  into  the  night  ? 
A  vision  through  the  distance  dark, 

A  form  of  light  advanced, 
And  with  steady  pace,  it  neared  the  place 

Where  the  saint  stood  still  entranced. 

"  The  old  man  knelt,  as  he  had  need, 

For  he  shook  that  he  could  not  stand  : 
But  the  luminous  form  came  on  with  speed, 

As  if  to  pass  by  at  his  hand. 
'  Oh  !  whither  goest  Thou,  my  Lord?  ' 

He  cried  with  a  bitter  moan  ; 
For  he  could  not  brook  the  sad,  stern  look 

That  was  fastened  on  his  own. 

"  Then  the  sweet  voice  of  the  Lord  arose  : 

'  I  am  going  to  Rome,'  it  said, 
'  To  be  crucified  afresh,  for  those 

Who  have  left  my  Cross,  and  fled.' 
And  the  vision  died  on  the  thin  night-air, 

As  the  words  came  soft  and  calm  ; 
And  the  saint  went  back  to  the  dungeon  and  rack. 

And  got  him  his  martyr's  palm." 

The  friars  who  this  tale  repeat, 

Will  show  you  to  this  day 
The  impress  of  those  blessed  feet. 

Where  they  trod  the  Appian  Way. 
But  more  to  me  these  words  avouch, 

Than  relics  for  ages  adored  : 
As  I  murmur  them  still,  like  a  charm  they  thrill, 

"  Whither  goest  Thou,  my  Lord  ?  " 


DATE  DUE 


GAYLORD 


PRINTED  IN  U..S.A. 


